Of trick or treat
and watching Sesame Street.
Of kites and toys,
friendly girls and boys.
Of cabbage patch kids
and bicycle skids.
Of breakfast foods like eggs and grits
or for lunch, a fried bologna sandwich.
Of school to home, then home to school;
kiss a girl on the cheek just to be cool.
Of breaking fake china and getting into trouble
with groups of kids playing spin the bottle.
Of mice and men
or men and mice;
Of sugar and spice
and everything nice.
That's what life was made of.
Of cities and crime
no rhythm, no rhyme.
Of drive-bys and funerals every day;
a generation that won't live to be old and grey.
Of mothers crying every week
while her children lay dying in the streets.
Of irresponsible fathers that leave their children alone
with a half built family in a broken home.
Of drugs and whores;
more guns, more wars.
Of politics and lies
and suits and ties.
Of tension between black and white
and relationships that last just for the night.
What happened to what life was made of?