Slums of Brooklyn

A thrumming beat echoes
Throughout the slums of Brooklyn,
Exploding from beat boxes that pump
Energetic life into a decaying city.

Rustic buildings, molding trash cans,
And deranged cats and dogs line the streets
While teenage boys play a violent
Basketball game that could take any NFL player 
Out.

This is the place where I learned 
“Street smarts” and hip hop dancing.
This is the place where my brother 
Was shot and killed in a drug deal.
To me and so many others,
This isn’t just our home.
This is our way of life.