down by 69
A new sign has been posted
Down by 69, where my old friend Booker used to live
it's perfect really,
eases my conscience from that feel of pressure,
you know how it
be
"say no to panhandling,
give to charities"
ah yes indeed,
let's see here,
are you talking about the one that squeezed Layla in a damp hostel with a baby in her belly,
or the one that denied Booker a place to sleep?
last weekend, below 30,
in his oil-smung breeches?
don't mind me I'm just trying to understand
what exactly you mean when you say we can help
if we "drive past and don't look back"
it's been days still i don't know
i never got his info,
because he "can't afford no cell"
at last it was last week,
did a little snooping,
spoke to Pam whose eyes were bored
the thing is she knew Booker longer than me
but only said
"you know how it
be"
do you understand me?
maybe if i tell you about
Riverside Drive, or
South Pleasant Valley.
so pleasant,
so pleasant
red and blue lights,
torn down streets
it was just a day ago, last spring,
when there was a friendly barbecue
between the tents and the trees
that a decree was heard,
"saviors of Austin"
they called themselves,
its pristine streets,
"you must leave"
"you must leave"
but public camping was allowed in Austin, no?
safety within that colorful weirdo, no?
a new reality a nearby creek,
water jug, a meat fillet grill
very pleasant, no?
NO?
:)
but don't worry,
don't worry,
if you have nowhere else to be,
and you just can't leave,
we do have a spot indeed for you
saved behind the scenes,
in a cell,
in a room with no trees
but we've been warning you for months,
a lawful ordinance, a public decree
a new ban
506 warnings
130 citations
I'm sorry, it's just so funny
your whole official stature as you give a ticket
to the man with no shoes
who looks at you, in perfect confusion
more enforcement, not enough housing
who's calling all the shots?
who's calling all the shots?
yes, public camping's 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 in Austin
there's so much friendly 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 in Houston
ye, devils in white
cloaks
screeching lord save Austin now, now now
Austin 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 department
𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘳-approved "ban encampment"
i said i don't know where Booker went
i said i don't know where Booker went
do you understand me?
how can this be?
