Life’ so different on this side
Yoo, I never know where to start
Should I start from the projects?
Flashback
8 year old me being cat called by a man 10x my age
Beige khakis
Still got bobos and barettes
Hips wider than this grown woman to my left
Gun put to my head for a bagbook
I hope he regrets
For the man only to find a coloring book, crayons, and some loose barrettes
That we waited so long in the line to get
Fast forward 5 months later
The entire building is being shut down
Only to find out that 10 years later
I would attend the University who brought that property
Just so they could have more property to make a parking lot
But there’s no parking lot
Just a bunch of of white people tired of hearing gunshots
Well I am too
I didn’t know what they thought would happen
After putting a whole brunch of starving individuals in a parking lot
Such a small space, with a whole lot of profit
But I thank you, I guess
You taught me that the giver, always has the right to take back.
They just didn’t want no ghetto ass black people
Fucking up their checks
Or let’s start with my role model’ death
14 years of being by my side
37 years of fighting
When mommy died
Shit went left
Everyday I wish you never died
Daddy lied and that wasn’t his first time
I didn’t know why, I thought he would ever change
He’s probably reading this poem with so much shame
But I love you and there’s nothing you can do about it
But my hurt hasn’t left this body
And my tears are so far away from drying
I need a couple more years of growth and hope
And praying
Please just give me some time
Ghetto fabulous is trying to elevate into a glorious queen
Ouu or the time where my own cousin sexuality…
Ouu or when my family walked out me
Or when my aunt volunteer to house sit by breaking in
Only to turn my house to a crack house
Piggy bank gone
Clothes gone
Life so far gone
Older sister sacrificed her own youth
Like Abraham sacrificed Isaac as a burnt offering
God knew she feared him
We had to start all over
But we knew that God would let us lean on him
By Tymeera Freeman
