I Put On For My City

We stand on our pedestal of soul
Elvis graced our land
As B.B. King blew in
Leaving behind a legacy of rock 'n' roll and blues

Beale shines while a thousand feet stroll
Two arches reflect into the Mississippi River
As the powerful waves carry away any misfortunes
That is just a fraction of downtown living
Memphis is as Memphis does
Or as it doesn’t
A church dots every corner
And a liquor store tailgates
We are labeled, Pants saggin’
Now say it backwards
Guns come in small packages
It’s brutal, Chaotic
Corrupt some might say
I live what I see
A one-legged man hops into you view
With a well-written sign
“Can you spare a dollar?”
Where’d you get the marker for that?
But you break, and give, to be blessed
Poverty stricken
Belly empty
Feet aching
You make your way home with nothing
But your pride and sweat
At times we can be at our lowest
But remember:
We’re always number one…
On the most crime list