There’s much to be learned from you, Detroit

From the way you dance in the streets when no one is looking
to the way you light up when everyone is

You know they say experience is the best teacher
Yours must’ve had her Doctorate
Magna Cum Lade
High honors
And all that jazz

Because you’ve taught me a lot

You taught me about music, magic and medicine
You taught me how to smell, see, hear, taste, and feel
You’ve always reminded me to smile,

even when it’s hard to

And You’ve showed me why loving your neighbor is so damn important

You taught me about hope
Hope.
It isn’t something that exists amongst rows of perfectly mowed grass
perfect buildings
Or perfect people

You showed me that hope doesn’t exist there

It is a more brave and rare form of beauty

Hope exists in the glimpse of light reflected from a piece of broken glass,
a gem,
that shines against the darkness of your abandoned streets and reminds me that happiness is temporary
but so is adversity