In their hearts I feel the blues; single mothers
standing on street corners because
they have nothing else to loose. Selling their soul
for survival just to stop the heavy beats
of starvation from silencing their young child’s
future ovation.  They do what they need
just to find a way to feed as poverty
has become their song
but their tears have dry strong
because in this world everyone strives
to find a place to belong.

I hear in their voices the echoes of many cold
lonely nights  — some are familiar strangers
lost and confused and others are old
searching for something out here to feel and to hold.
No amount of spare change
can heal their minds because they were left
without a home as alone
they stand as a song
but their tears dry strong
because in this world everyone
needs to know they belong.

© 2012
Tarringo T. Vaughan

curbs of dreams suppressed

on streets of criminality where a child’s eyes

reflect the fatality of poverty’s disguise.

But, within the shadowed streets of Elm City,

there is hope, there is always hope

when a community stands up and takes pride

in the education of future generations

there is always a chance of escape from decades

of recycled failures when neighbors

mend their voices

and fight for a child’s rights and choices

and there is always a reason to believe

when there are teachers who care

about the tears that visibly hide

on the inner city streets

where empty promises deceive.

From the depths of Elm City is where our children stand –

and they are not just statistics or misused funds;

they are not just test scores or faces to be ignored–

they are the young lives waiting to reached;

they are the hands raising their hands

not just because they know the answer, but because

they are the answer;

they are the smiles that inspire the importance

of education and they are the thoughts and ideas

who reflect the dedication of learning—

they are the children of Elm City -

the commitment of today inspiring

the vision of tomorrow.

(c) 2013

Tarringo T. Vaughan