My City

Poem: August 2025

Photo by Ewan Esparza

This is my city.
Northside, where I drew my first breath.
Lakeside, where school dances ended.
Riverside, where dreams run backwards,
and history flows generations deep.

This is my city.
Westside, where sofrito calls my name.
Southside, where churches defend us.
The Loop, where today imagines tomorrow,
and empty streets echo another shift.

This is my city.
Where winter tightens warm embraces,
Where spring blooms on bricked-up hearts,
Where summer blesses our boldest proposals,
Where fall whispers a run on love.
Where past and future meet on every block.

This is my city.
Not perfect, but mine.
With a star for every season of my life.