Gratuitous 

Crack smoking 

And females 

Wearing 

Thought-provoking 

Garments 

Every other  

Citizen 

Carrying a strap 

Or a felony 

Relationships 

Ruined 

Over  

Jealousy 

Mothers 

Dressed 

Better 

Than their 

Daughters 

Sons  

Growing up 

Without  

Their fathers 

Grandkids  

Calling  

Their grandmothers  

Mama 

Couples  

And their  

Neverending  

Drama... 

Life in the hood... 

But what if  

They could 

Put down the guns 

And pipes 

Say, fuck gang life 

And earn their stripes 

With books? 

If females earned  

Self-respect  

Through 

Strong family  

Composition 

And female role models 

Instead of imitating  

Models? 

If young black 

Men  

Made wiser  

Decisions 

Because  

They saw  

Hope  

In their futures? 

If there were no side bitches 

Or side niggas 

Because people 

Respected  

The sanctity  

Of love? 

If mothers 

Saw their  

Daughters  

As an  

Extension  

Of themselves  

And treated them  

Accordingly? 

If Grandmas  

Were only mothers 

Until they  

Were grey-haired 

And elderly 

And couldn’t be mistaken  

For a mommy 

To a young-un? 

If young families  

Stayed together  

Showing their  

Children 

That it is possible  

To achieve Love 

Regardless of  

Your surroundings 

You can learn to swim 

To the shore  

Of a beautiful life 

Rather  

Than accept  

Your drowning 

Future. 

Most of the BS 

In the hood  

Won't be saved  

Because of ignorance  

Abounding. 

But Love Can. 

Love is where  

Struggle  

Stops 

And  

Hope  

Begins. 

Bring love  

Back 

To black family 

Homes. 

Start with  

Yours. 

It’s never  

Too late. 

Hood Love  

Is rare. 

But it’s about 

Who and how... 

Not where.