A poem Birthplace

[ERIC SHARP]

Deep in the Boogie Down--
the bassinet of the boom bap
where the trinity is The Treacherous Three,

English is the third language
behind Bronx and Puerto Rican,
and I was nervous

because I only speak Catholic school
and I'm a Red Sox fan.

I'm just a student of KRS-1, not a son,

on a train fourteen stops beyond my comfort
zone hiding behind headphones coughing
bass, and a backpack full of lyrics:

Notorious B.I.G., Rakim, Perdomo,
Run DMC, Brooks, wanting to be real cool,

wanting to be their "dawg"--
but feeling like a mailman,
another Elvis

to the students I will lead
through a workshop in a language

I itch to get my rusted cavities around.
by Michael Cirelli