In the ghetto, time and grime,don't hold back, the years or the tears, scream out, in the night, nobody hears or cares, but, I'm still holding on, there are  fears, out here, nobody has  met yet, I'm still holding on,walking city streets,praying that, death,won;t get to me, sooner or later,I'm still holding on,strangled, by the secret wishes,inside, hoping the fake,dreams of smoke, entering the bodies, and noses, I see,don't **** off , the real dreams, of those, not on the pipe, *** being used, to sooth, away each tired,ache or lack, people, being used, to escape, from the ghetto blues, so, I'm still holding on,watching  kids, doubledutch, on sidewalk cracks, lots seeded, with tossed mattresses, junked cars, rotting trash,stray dogs, I see dice thrown down, roller hoping to get lucky, and I'm still holding on

In the ghetto, time and grime,don't hold back, the years or the tears, scream out, in the night, nobody hears or cares, but, I'm still holding on, there are  fears, out here, nobody has  met yet, I'm still holding on,walking city streets,praying that, death,won;t get to me, sooner or later,I'm still holding on,strangled, by the secret wishes,inside, hoping the fake,dreams of smoke, entering the bodies, and noses, I see,don't **** off , the real dreams, of those, not on the pipe, *** being used, to sooth, away each tired,ache or lack, people, being used, to escape, from the ghetto blues, so, I'm still holding on,watching  kids, doubledutch, on sidewalk cracks, lots seeded, with tossed mattresses, junked cars, rotting trash,stray dogs, I see dice thrown down, roller hoping to get lucky, and I'm still holding on

In the ghetto, time and grime,don't hold back, the years or the tears, scream out, in the night, nobody hears or cares, but, I'm still holding on, there are  fears, out here, nobody has  met yet, I'm still holding on,walking city streets,praying that, death,won;t get to me, sooner or later,I'm still holding on,strangled, by the secret wishes,inside, hoping the fake,dreams of smoke, entering the bodies, and noses, I see,don't **** off , the real dreams, of those, not on the pipe, *** being used, to sooth, away each tired,ache or lack, people, being used, to escape, from the ghetto blues, so, I'm still holding on,watching  kids, doubledutch, on sidewalk cracks, lots seeded, with tossed mattresses, junked cars, rotting trash,stray dogs, I see dice thrown down, roller hoping to get lucky, and I'm still holding on

In the ghetto time and grime don't hold back
The years or the tears.Scream out in the night nobody hears or cares
But I'm still holding on.There are fears out here nobody has met yet
I'm still holding on. Walking city streets praying that death won't
Get to me. Sooner or later strangled by the secret wishes inside
Hoping the fake dreams of smoke entering the bodies noses I see
Don't off the real dreams of those not on the pipe
*** being used to sooth away each tired ache or lack
People trying to escape from the ghetto blues
So I'm still holding on. Watching kids doubledutch on sidewalk cracks
Lots seeded with tossed mattresses junked cars rotting trash
Stray dogs seen hanging around hot dice nearby
Thrown down roller hoping to get lucky
And I keep holding on

Bugbitten and peeling, red skin,
wrinkled clothes stuffed in suitcases,
drinking from garden faucets and
running through your neighbor’s sprinklers.

A heat that cooks you from the inside,
leaves you all decay
lying beneath a lazy,
buzzing ceiling fan.

In the warm stillness
a ray of sun catches the dust
spinning, falling slowly.

Hopscotch. Doubledutch. Chalked pink fingers.

I wish I remembered more.
The dust as it falls in the darkness.
The dust just before it hits the ground.

Hazy desert skies,
forlorn orange, teal and starless,
every cloud in tangerine lines.

One earbud in your ear, the other in mine.

I think I’ve become the dust
caught spinning within a sunbeam.

Moths hitting against the window,
cicadas singing outside,
a reminder of the world still breathing in the darkness.

I will always think of those summers and think of you.