Richmond City - A Poem

Walked the streets

You, me, us

Of the past and present 

The Capital

Of the Future and the Past

Streets of modern pavement, asphalt

Side alleys of cobblestone and bricks

Cars of the modern age

Trees of times long ago

Fall leaves beginning to turn

Like history.

Things turn, things twist, things fall

Like a Black man in 2020

Under the knee of a blue uniformed one

The men wore grey a few generations ago

Their leader a smart veteran of Mexico City

And Veracruz

An enemy defeated and vast lands won some fourteen years

Before

Then they declared independence

A confederacy

A poor country lawyer opposed

And thousands and thousands died

Buried across twenty united 

and disunited states

The capital was captured

Forced to submit at last

Blood and guts and tears and torment 

Made it free 

From the curse of bondage

Students and workers walk the streets now

Parents and other visitors 

Walk freely

With money to spend, good music to hear

The radio DJ blasts his tunes

The conductor fans his flames

Of power and feel

People peacefully meet

Walk, talk, discuss, celebrate

And some few short blocks away

The round plaza of that long dead general

Defaced and scorned

Is gone

Only grass remains

The fences keep the rest out

A young man died there recently

Perhaps a tribute to him now

Do not repeat the past

Do not fall to the knee of the oppressor

Do not fall prey to the ravages of bondage

Drugs

Violence

Depravity

Relativistic morals and

Less than good desires

Help us help you,

Richmond

The city of the legislature and governor 

Those elect that we elect

We the people

We walk your streets Richmond

You are us and we are you

We are in this together

We will fight for what is right

No more bondage

Freedom ever more

Peace and prosperity

Order and tranquility

Richmond is at peace

And we celebrate those things.