Lower Manhattan tenements were cleared in 1934 to make way for the Knickerbocker Village, a private development of low-income housing that was federally funded. Ewing Galloway (NY Times)
a substance used for destruction
forms a fog around me
cement pebbles bind to my feet
panels of plywood protect families
shattered glass creates a mosaic haven
home begins to decompose
distribution of negro families take hold
grey wolves prowl on our vacant streets
promoting our property for profit greed
silhouettes of reclaimed landscapes
become costly dwellings
for those who could afford
to reuse, reduce, replace the Harlem of before
this place, our place, once filled with
patterns of people
has now become broken
by ivory schemes
- Yaz
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