More Than Justice

Hope in the Dream

I wonder this city at night
Daring her to swallow me up.
Worse than dope
I believed
Anyone could achieve
Dreamed the dream
of America land of opportunity
So naive
had the audacity to hope in this system
If I just work hard enough
Stand up straight
Always on time
Make white people comfortable
read the right books 
Answer every question
Laugh at the right jokes
Never point out American equality….the obvious hoax
success or at least stability would be mine
But the game is rigged
I could do that every day for the rest of my life 
and still hand to mouth live.
Here’s to another day hustling in the Chi City
unable to fake the funk and escape this American Nightmare. 

work hard for what

the hardest working people I know
are the poorest people I know
work till they can’t stand
feet swollen and aching,
vison blurred,
fingers raw, muscles sore,
brains numbed,
but pockets still empty.
Ends rarely meet.
Something salty, sweet, then tripled fried or air sandwiches all they eat.