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it was a warm june summer day
on centennial drive in the berkley hills.
he’s just turned ten sitting shotgun
in the swerving messy honda hatchback
heading back from the lawrence hall of science.
it was a day execution with the canal community alliance.
he’s wearing parachute pants and a sleeveless
fishnet shirt, both black and phat laces on his shoes,
he’s seen breakin’ three times in the theater
and he feels he’s close to mastering the headspin.
trista, dianne and etoyia are singing in the back seat and he’s
sure michelle is taking the turns too fast.
the wind whips through the open windows,
the crappy tape deck is turned up as loud as it can go,
a sound unlike anything he has ever heard before
blares from the speaker by his feet,
i’m not a human, i’m a dove
i’m your conscience, i am love
they’re all singing as loud as they can,
i would die for you, yeah
darlin', if you want me to
you, i would die for you.
isn’t this great michelle asks, grinning from ear to ear.
he can’t understand how lucky he is to be with this women,
she’ll never know the impact she’ll have on these kids’ lives.

just as as soon as it started, the chaos has subsided.
the richmond oil refinery drums have opened to the bridge
and the sun is calmer now, golden and shimmering on the bay,
they roll the windows up and stop signing.
staring at the seagulls in silence, except for the song engulfing the car
i know times are changing
it's time we all reach out
for something new, that means you too.