Welcome to the rough side of town
What happens out here has no bounds
Horrible things go down
Things that do nothing but make me frown
As I come upon what the people call the “ghetto” or “slums”
Wonderin’ when GOD’s gonna’ come
Lookin’ forward to skating the 7-stair
Swoosh my long dark brown hair
Look at the knees of my jeans
Got myself a bit of rip and tear
I hear the sounds of parents fightin’
Children cryin’
The obnoxious echo of sirens
Welcome to the rough side of town
As I skate by
I see three children outside
Hear the downtown clock strike nine
It’s far too late for playtime
So I look closer to see they’re hidin’
This one moment feels frightenin’
I feel like a dog during lightenin’
I look inside to find a single mother
As she struggles to cook a hot plate
She listens to comments of hate
I look back outside
To find four horrible men
Either drunk or high
Makin’ this woman cry
After minutes go by
She closes the blinds
The men call words of hate
They discriminate
As she tries to ignore
They throw rocks at her window
And scream names like “whore!”
These men were drunk
Frat boy punks
On the wrong side of town
Out of their grounds
So pathetic
Must have been drinking kegs
Or smokin’ pounds
I wanna’ stay clean
So I step further away from the scene
I didn’t wanna’ see this at the age of thirteen
Welcome to the rough side of town


This will certify that the above work is completely original.

Conor McNamara