The Way the Neighborhood Used to Be

I spent the end of the summer sweating.
I sweated sleeping, even when I slept alone.
Showers were comically redundant.
Dark shirts were multi-colored, and white shirts were opaque.

Skateboarding, pizza, bodega beer, rooftops.
and every conversation led to one of two subjects:
Athletic prowess
and the way the neighborhood used to be.

We're 24, at the top of our game...
You'd beat me in high-jump, dashes
I'd win at everything else cuz I'm stubborn.
Summer feels so good.

El barrio used to be so different.
Only Rosa's restaurant is left from those days
somehow it got so cool, so expensive
Used to be artists, fuck Duane Reade and Starbucks

High-five homie.

Now I live in Crown Heights, eight months later.
I didn't sweat this winter, except with fever.
I drank less beer, but did get an open container ticket.
I skated in slush and snow, cuz I'm stubborn and want to win.

The rooms in my apartment are huge, cuz this used to be all Jewish.
But ten years ago it was all black, and dangerous.
"We could never go to Franklin Street, back in the 90's."
"Whoa, you live at Eastern Parkway and Franklin? That's such a dope neighborhood!"

I live with "dope" young professionals
Outside my window I hear the roots of rap music, constant banter.
I ran in the park, and scared a hawk from its roost.
I ran past joggers and designer dogs,
I ran past unnecessary signs "Peligro Hielo Fino."
I ran past the place where last week, 17 year old Sharif Abdallah got in a fight,
and the other kid got his dad, who came and killed Sharif.
Sharif used to walk past my window.
"Whoa, you live at Eastern Parkway and Franklin?"

I was happy to jog and get a good sweat.
Then I went to work: lattes and ice cream.
It's a nice neighborhood; a parade of strollers and proud parents.
It's the library and museum and park and ice cream.
We could talk about how it has changed, too.