I was born in a place called Brooklyn
Where I never saw a brook
In a state known as the Empire State
Which lacked leadership
Within a country called the United States
That couldn’t have been more divided
I grew up on the street of Hate
Across from a church called “Our Lady of Hope”
About three miles south of “Lady Liberty”
When on a good day I could see clear past her glorious torch
To Rikers Island Detention Center peeking over her shoulder
As I daydreamed from my fourth grade classroom window

We drove on paved roads where in worn spots
Could be seen cobble stones and trolley tracks beneath
A reminder of days gone by
Though still quite visible in divided neighborhoods
With souls of unpaved hearts
Teachers skilled in whitewashing minds and souls
Political leaders spoke in tongues of white supremacy & Black irrelvancy
Heartless merchants sold rotten fruit to minority customers

Blacks marched and beaten in the South
and in my town called ignorant troublemakers
Parents ranting in homes in front of black and white TV’s
In cushy armchairs screaming “Send them back to Africa”
Their children victims of their words
Supermarket shelves stocked with white bread and Caucasian band-aids
Aunt Jemima syrup and Uncle Ben’s rice
As Amos and Andy entertained
and Archie Bunker Wanna Be’s watched
Real Estate agents skilled in exclusion
Justice System with two levels of Jurisprudence

Ebbets Field in a hot summer swelter
Smells of hot dogs, beer and bad baseball
Sounds of “Sym-phony” and cowbell
Struck the tune of the afternoon
Then came Jackie and redemption
and beautiful it was, but maybe a bit too real
As they soon were gone
Many hearts broken
Off to the Gold Rush of the West
as we and others fled to northern pastures
Howdy County of Trees
Good-Bye City of Homogenees!

Merry Christmas
and
Happy New Year!

WRITTEN BY: GERARD ROSS
DEC. 16. 2025