Camden remembers its past

Camden understands your pain

Camden believes that their kids can succeed

Camden wears a suit of filth from judgment and hatred

Camden hides behind all of its pollution

Camden hides the goodness in the world to keep away

What makes it angry

Camden believes it can be a better day

Camden is angry about how the people treat it

Camden dreams of fixing its mistakes

Camden is helpful

Camden believes life will get better

Camden wants no intention of violence

Camden is angry about all the murders that have happened

Camden regrets the loaded gun

Camden wishes people would stop calling it dangerous

Camden dreams of peace

Crushed soda cans, crumpled paper

half-eaten food and broken glass

scatter beneath his feet

The boy ignores this

He sees it every day

The smell of cigarette smoke

fills the air suddenly

as he passes a house with

broken windows with glass as

sharp as knives

He hears vicious dogs growling

nearby behind rusty metal fences

The boy stopped to look at all

he had passed

and thought,

“If only I could change this.”

An empty room

no windows

no doors

No one’s there except my best friend and me

Warm, calm

peace and quiet

Fully bloomed roses are in my nostrils

As I wave my hand, thick moisture

runs through my fingers

Shhh—is all I hear, the beach scream

for a drama scene

But they won’t find it

I need someone by my side

No hesitation

Collaboration

No guilt, guilt-free

This place understands me

This person knows me

Time for me to know me

Life can be a nice, rich Indian

village with a waterfall swooshing

in your face by a wooden bridge

with birds as white as paper

and night fireworks coloring

that dark day as a

cupcake with red raggedy rings

of fire making life happy and a

joy

My special place lies on the couch each morning

I lie on the couch each dreadful cold day

The couch isn’t my special place

It’s only the doorway to the place I love

The place I love is my mind

My lived-to-love mind

My free-financed mind

The place where no one bugs me unless I want them to

Camden remembers when the streets used to be filled with jazz

Camden believes that it will be safe one day

Camden wishes the community would clean him

Camden dreams of a calm, clean and happy city

Camden remembers the life and joy of living

and the happiness and sadness of love

Camden wants to be known for something good

Camden never forgets all the negative things people say about it;

they go with it everywhere, Camden wishing, hopefully one day,

to prove them all wrong

Camden never forgets how clean it was before

Camden never forgets the great dreams of its grandfathers

Camden needs more free dirt bikes

Camden wears socks

Camden wishes for safe streets

Camden understands people

Camden believes in community

Camden wishes for a better life

Camden wants no lies

Camden cries quietly at night when no one is listening

Camden is angry about how there’s a lot of trash around

Camden searches for the unpredictable, like unity and beauty of grace

Camden dreams of better days