i left my condo at 7 am today
what does my beloved city have for me?
at age 95
Bob sits outside his apartment building
tending to the rose bushes with minimal blooms
at 95 Bob shared its easy to leave our beloved city
he has lived here since 1954
he reminds me it’s beloved for me
not beloved for him any longer
as an African American man
Bob embraced my beloved city
a respite from the deep south
my city has pushed all of his friends and neighbors out
not gone from old age
gone from gentrification
the deep south is better now
his eyes smile through his mask
Bob’s dad left him a home with land
near lakes to fish
near woods to hunt
he will not miss our beloved city
make sure i visit him again soon
soon to be gone
not to the promise land Bob tells me
gone because of gentrification.
