Poverty is Violence

Pretty soon empty spoons cut gums

like razor blades across faces in penitentiaries

the summer of 98 took lives

off of family porches

&

out of family portraits

it also took the Jordan's off of Jermaine's feet

along with his breath

last words were "don't scuff em"

&

when people don't eat

They eat each other bone and all

I AM, staring at an empty closet

waiting for the bones to fall

&

because an empty stomach

gets filled with lucifer

we been keeping the door locked

everyday this June 

the wavy apparitions rising from concrete

reminded us, summer was in

&

the heat was on