- Vol. 05
- Chapter 10
Brick by Brick
We built this city its walls and gullies its red and blue barrios abandoned storefronts narrow alleys barricaded precincts and armories potholed one-way streets besieged redbrick schools houses for sale homes awaiting demolition bars churches city parks a sock ground into the dirt a canvas shoe laces broken a rusty swing comes and goes to the silence of past laughter
We built this city handicap parking outside starfish malls factory outlets close-out-sale banners sun bleached logos billow over JCPenney and Sears memories of Woolworth Levitz Furniture A&P B. Dalton Toys R Us Mr. Movies Sam Goody
Brick by Brick
We built this city of homeless squatters cardboard hotels borrowed shopping carts plastic bags dark suits digital portfolios stilettos and Gucci bags gated communities gleaming glass on cliff edges like tear-drop pearls over swollen seas
We built this world brick by crumbling brick stamped our thumbprint into wet cement and fled to the clouds.