Rhode Island Avenue
By Christine Stoddard
QuailBellMagazine.com
QuailBellMagazine.com
I was taught to fear Brentwood, but I went anyway
because I’m not afraid of the black or the poor,
because black is just black and poor is just poor,
and back then I could’ve collected welfare checks
had I wanted, but I believed my poverty would pass
and I believed I’d be stealing from hungry babies
and I believed I was too damn special and proud
to need—or admit needing—from anyone at all.
I stood in Silver Spring, where I had paid for
a friend’s meal, knowing he was much poorer,
even homeless, and feeling strangely smug
because I had slapped down my debit card.
I could buy two sandwiches and two sodas,
and now I would go Christmas shopping
because I had money in my account
and that made me a minor god.
#capitalism #holidayjoy
Sing low, sweet WMATA car.
Coming for to take me home.
because I’m not afraid of the black or the poor,
because black is just black and poor is just poor,
and back then I could’ve collected welfare checks
had I wanted, but I believed my poverty would pass
and I believed I’d be stealing from hungry babies
and I believed I was too damn special and proud
to need—or admit needing—from anyone at all.
I stood in Silver Spring, where I had paid for
a friend’s meal, knowing he was much poorer,
even homeless, and feeling strangely smug
because I had slapped down my debit card.
I could buy two sandwiches and two sodas,
and now I would go Christmas shopping
because I had money in my account
and that made me a minor god.
#capitalism #holidayjoy
Sing low, sweet WMATA car.
Coming for to take me home.