"playground city"

the sea reflects the morning light
lazy waves rolling easy on the beach
dawn waking up the playground city

all around the boardwalk
homeless sleep off the night
as early risers walk on by -
in the casinos a regular crowd
shuffles around tables an' slots
making desperate bets
loosing the month's welfare
and social security checks

young street stow-a-ways
stir inside boarded abandaminiums
while next door
the fortunate born look down at them
inside luxury hi-rise condominiums

at the neighborhood clinic
addicts wait in line
for their daily dose of meth
and whores stagger around
looking for a fix
after a night walking the streets
turnin' out of town trix

a homeless woman squats
in a city bus stop shelter
holding on to all she owns
and a decripit ol' alchy
begs for change
hoping soon to sooth his bones
an' stagger into sister jean's
while cleansing the spirits
of the city's unclean

on the main city drag
shiny stretch limos stream by
with unseeing eyes
hidden behind tinted windows
returning to privileged little lives
as the unfortunate born
go on living
in the garbage strewn golden streets
of the world's playground city