This is an ode to the neighborhood
I grew up in . . .

Rose and Avon
Bergen and Lyons
Shephard and Osborne
Stengel and Porter
Clinton and Hawthorne

Streets I grew up on
The South Ward
You know I love you with all my heart
You took me in when I was just a boy
I had no one else to look after me

Momma could only do so much
With inviting arms, you welcomed me
I learned everything that I know from you
Maybe how to write
Or roll several blunts

Maybe you gave me my motivation
Maybe you gave me my resilience
I probably became stronger because of the influence you bestowed upon me
You weren’t perfect

Homicides and drug deals on each of the blocks your identity was encompassed in
Cop cars speeding up and down your precious streets
Twenty years later and that shit ain’t changed at all
I may live on a different side of town, but I never forgot my roots
I went to school in your district
My family was from your district
I got mad love for the South Ward
I can never erase you from my memory

Those mornings when I used to walk to Carver every day
Thinking about how I would be able to revolutionize the future once I graduated
You never treated me funny
I’ll always appreciate you for respecting me