For Baltimore

An Adaption of Pablo Neruda's "The Mountain and the River," for Baltimore
By Stephanie McKee

In my city there is a schoolhouse.
In my city there is a sidewalk.

Come with me.

Failure wanders through the schoolhouse.
Violence goes down the sidewalk.

Come with me.

Who are those who suffer?
I do not know, but they are my brothers.

Come with me.

I do not know, but they call to me
and they say to me: "We suffer."

Come with me.

And they say to me: "Your brothers,
your luckless brothers
between the schoolhouse and the sidewalk
with failure and violence,
they do not want to struggle alone.
They are waiting for you, friend."

Oh you, the people I love,
family of warm concrete
and red brick,
the struggle will be hard,
life will be hard,
but many will come with me
and we will all
walk together.