Love Poem for Kensington
There is a place a neighborhood Kensington
About as far as your back pocket in the scope of world wide things
Philly side-step-shuffle
Where sorrow can be so grave
You could lay down and cry
non stop full stop heartache
There is a place
Where sounds and smells explode implode
Sirens squeal horns go bonkers
trains so loud overhead
that everyone knows to pause their talk & thought
taking 15 seconds of silent reflection
for a loved-one gone
And the drama repeats broken record
revolving door
neglect backlash loose change
for a swipe on the train
Piled trash and flowing
Dippers with raw hands and feet
united to cop fighting to cope
GMoms and Pops fed up
down to the ground down to the ground
It’s complex I realize
it's this and this tragic sorrow
that and that too
Big ‘T’ and little ‘t’ for trauma
Upper and lower class cases
cast as the great divide
cutting
no equal access to care and resources
Be still our beating hearts
though we will not be silent
These are our Sunshines and Dearhearts
our someone’s someone mine and yours
mothers fathers sons daughters sisters brothers
cousins neighbors colleagues housemates
Stigma sighs and sighs and sighs
sharp as a tongue unbridled, boo
heavy dharma,
corrupt Pharma and
White House toxic blues
There is a place in that Kensington nexus
vortex whirl
One Nation Under Love
just at the Somerset El train stop
a building a Storefront a haven
window wide heart home
safe space no disgrace
dignity and welcome for all
Because this place is for all
-the fellow en route to his PO
-the saxophone player just out of jail needing work and housing
- those not quite ready for detox but want to see a familiar kind face and just sit
-a Mom stopping by before she gets her child at school
- a Dad and small tribe of his kids stopping thru for snacks and to say hello
-someone ready for detox or almost ready to be ready
Because where there is life there is hope
and with hope there is living
so let's now also imagine how it might feel to thrive
Here’s the tribe vibe there:
wellness is possible for one and all
mind body and spirit
custom path plenty
a harm reduction life enhancing talisman
cause ‘when I’m weaving, I feel good", she said
or ‘I can do this; look at me’, he said
courage and confidence healing heart skills
with paint and print
open mic words and music flowing
peeps coming and going
yarns fabric and thread song circle yoga
lavender mist scent to clear the air
clean socks open arm hugs
beads books markers journaling
‘cause everyone has a story to tell
‘cause heart aches and heart beats can be reversed
where tea and pb&js
and the community coming together
do make a difference
So imagine with us
hashtags with action
belonging purpose and meaning
sanctuary studio
art as social change
we see your essence
and love!
let me say love!
because creativity & community matter
and a Storefront
can be the door to its heart
(K. Pannepacker, 2020/4)