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A Poem by Essmaa Litim for her 'Fruit of the Room' series
1 min read
Image by Sam Elwood
No mo sunshine on the street
a breeze blocked by where buildings meet
not a cloud in sight
so where’d the sun go?
hiding behind luxurious condos
city view balconies for lease pronto
I only see the sunset
when the sun sets
still don’t see the sun
I know the darker it gets
still don’t see the sun
at another address,
another asset
residing in a three family home
I can no longer afford
luxury down the street
but no luxury for me
family money making its way down the family tree
trees torn down to make way for three doors down
biking down my old favorite block brand new pavements and back to back coffee shops
for who?
years of inadequate crosswalks
meeting at the corner for small talks
dodging death while walking on sidewalks
aftershock watching our neighborhood’s life clock
living in a prism with no doors
schematic perception on all fours
living paycheck to paycheck for one floor
giving bank checks and bank checks for more loans
and I still can’t see the sun,
anymore.
I used to see my shadow now they following it
my hood don’t look the same cuz they swallowing it
I’m reaching for the breeze
am I hot, do I freeze?
cuz I can’t feel the air touching my elbows or my knees
buildings blocking all the air where there used to be trees
and now I can’t even see the sun,
-anymore.
there’s no more sunshine
No mo sunshine on the street.
* Originally published in-print in Boston Compass Newspaper #140 November 2021