No hope for this city they say
no hope
Kids doing time, for
Crime, for the crimes
Committed against their ancestors here,
Long ago and now.

On a jury I put a boy behind bars
Because of the laws,
I had no choice.
Empty rowhouses
Blackened from fire and neglect
What can you expect
From bankers who stay away from this place,
No hope.

Neighbors gather to talk
And write and plead
To get small business to succeed
In these neighborhoods of
no hope;

To get guns out of hands;
restorative practice in schools
so violence is not what rules;
I see some teenagers joining adults to create
Peaceful options instead of hate.

Clean streets, green spaces, new schools,
People who care and guide;
Are working together to stem this tired tide.
Now this is hope,
Yes , hope.