The bar at the corner
was operating
without a license,
catering to the worst
the neighborhood
had to offer.
Police shut it down,
boarded up
the windows,
but that only
gave the clientele
more privacy.
Business boomed
until one night
so did a gun,
and some young guy
painted the sidewalk
with hemoglobin.
People always ask
if I feel safe
living on this block;
I used to quip
that I don’t frequent
illegal bars
at four
in the morning,
so yes,
but now
there’s this child.
She can’t
even crawl yet,
let alone
roam the streets
at night,
but my god,
we need
to move.
_by_Victor_Schwartzman.jpg)
