THE NEIGHBORHOOD

i thought i escaped the neighborhood
south side days and south side ways
chicago and all its' glory
the gutters, the slang, the swagger
the taverns, the social clubs, the ball teams...
the girls with foul mouths who bore our children
yet, i always came back

i still have the walk
and urban life is embedded in my heart
even though i am in a tapioca, suburban existence
i sound like a city man
with an emphasis on a hard "A"
thirty four years gone am i
yet, my heart is still there

and i keep coming back
just like they tell a guy to do at A.A. meetings
'cause i want what Chicago has...
and i'm still willing to go to any lengths to get it
and that "it" is indescribable to a non-chicagoan
the city has its' own smell, its' steadfastness
against all change, though change does come
but it's only cosmetic

my city remains the same underneath
where the dice games are played
and bag men pick up
and girls ply their trade
and bookies take the bets
and politicos put in the fix
and the horses run hard
and ball teams forever lose
my neighborhood is chicago