Graffiti adorns the walls of
dilapidated dwellings.
Some a work of art, others
reveal signs of territorial wars.
Painted ladies scantily clad work the block,
seeking a rendezvous alongside the inebriated propped
against the wall savoring their spirits.
Tent cities depict life of the displaced, where
drug addicts yearn to score. Surviving in a landscape
marred by refuse and mounting crime.
Stench of rotting garbage and waste
wafts through the air and settles heavy
and thick into the narrow sun baked alleyways.
Residents roused by the echo of gunshots and
screams, with hearts pounding, descend into chaos
waiting for help that may never arrive.
Years of neglect leaves the neighborhood
both unsightly and squalid. Recollections
of what was once vibrant and thriving.