There we played, on the streets of youth where
we were free of fear, free of tears and during times
when life taught us the freedom to care.
We were the innocent — children filled with dreams
learning the art of growth while realizing that everything
around us wasn’t what it seemed but still we believed
in hope, courage and our own ability to achieve — we were
the future holding history tight in our hands
as we laughed, cried and watched our older generations
die. And we were the fearless determined
to fly despite poverty chained to our heels– we used
our wheels of courage to travel to new reachable
destinations where our names gave definition
to the liberation of strength. We were a new generation,
as in our faces was a new age of challenge; a challenge
we embraced as we played on the streets of youth –
where once upon a time
there was no crime, emptiness or pain.
2013
Tarringo T. Vaughan
