Editor’s note: The Second Annual Poetry Luchador Battle of ALL of the Sexes on Valentines Day was a multi-generational, multi-lingual, multicultural ash-up of art, gender, poetry, wrestling, language, and theatre brought to you by the favorite revolutionary poets, media-makers, poverty scholars and cultural workers at POOR Magazine. As cosponsors of the event, we’re proud to run the winning poem. The second- and third-place winners are at sfbg.com.
When you walkin’ thru the downtown, and lookin’ in around, you see the
down of humanity, who was once somebody’s baby, layin’ down on the
concrete, street, on the ground
And do ya dare to care, and say what you want to say, step on and stare —
Double standard mind warped thinkin’, not my problem, this is where —
Ya got it wrong, think you are strong, move along, but its your
conscience layin’ there —
Cuz it is what it is — what it is — what it is
Livin on concrete —
What it is — what it is — what it is
Livin on concrete
So, call it whatever you wanna call it — at a distance
But in reality, it’s a casualty of a capitalist existence
Thru the food chain of command, it’s the plan of the man
So step off — shut the fuck up, walk on by, why take a stand?
And be grateful for what you got, even if ya been just tossed a bread crumb
Cuz the hypocrisy of democracy’s leavin’ nothing for that street bum —
What it is — what it is — what it is
Livin on concrete —
What it is — what it is — what it is
Livin on concrete
NIMBYism ideology, no apology, psychology
Haven’t ya realized, ya been hypnotized, homogenized, desensitized?
To a typical, statistical, egotistical psychology
To accept, the neglect and disrespect your own humanity
What it is — what it is — what it is
Livin on concrete —
What it is — what it is — what it is
Livin on the street.
So call it whatever ya wanna call it!
V.L. Hain is a PoorNewsNetwork staff writer and member of the WelfareQUEENS, a performance and media advocacy project of POOR Magazine.