Lacking. 

It's slacking. 

But no, never cracking 

under pressure. 

"It gets better." 

But it doesn't 

Stormy weather 

& your stomach 

on empty 

like the gas tank. 

We never had banks. 

We only had dank  

to sell. 

Stuck in a cell 

because we got caught. 

It was all our faults  

even though we didn't have a choice. 

We didn't have a voice 

or commodities. 

Just poverty. 

We only gotta be 

successful. 

But it's stressful 

when you have no money. 

It's not funny 

when you feel less than a man 

because you can't spend 

the money necessary 

or time. And it's never scary 

fighting for your life 

with gang bangers, 

Bloods and Crips 

because you never get  

fear 

when you have nothing to lose here. 

Something to choose? Fear? 

No.  

We have none. 

We only have one 

choice 

and that's to survive. 

Because we're in poverty. 

Survival of the fittest. 

Everyone bothers me. 

Hate just harbors. We 

gotta get a move on 

& a choose on. 

We'll never lose. Wrong. 

We'll never win. 

The cycle of poverty 

comes around again.