City of Detroit

Poem for my city.

                      City of Detroit.


Today Vice president told Detroit.
"Nothing we can do for you."

I was raised near downtown Detroit.
Once 2 million strong with hard working people.
Auto companies left Detroit to be dead and bury.
Riots took down downtown.
Leaving a city in great pain.

I remember when my Grandparent took me to Hudson.
A wild journey for a kid with hope and dreams.
We went to Belle Isle.
I swam in the lake and we roamed the Detroit zoo all day.

Many reason for the old city to fall.
Poor leadership and change.
The Auto companies left Detroit, Flint and Saginaw without
hope and dreams.

They left men without jobs and to lose their homes and dreams.
Desperate men can become dangerous.

Vice President said nothing they can do for Detroit.
Rich men running the USA eating steak with a average of 2.3 million
each to live on. Need to walk the streets of Detroit.

700 thousand people with little hope.
Need logical leadership and to rebuilt the old city.

Real jobs bring hope. Built new homes and repair the roads.
Don't need charity. Need opportunity.

Our leadership spend $3,456,213, 000,000 on war in 2011.
Gave away $45,685,000,000  to other countries in 2011.
Senate, House and President needed $25,507,000,000 to lead the USA to almost 17 trillion in debt.

10% of war budget could fix all the cities like Detroit.
Downsize Federal government.
Give empty property to companies willing to create jobs and hope.
A working Detroit would heal the old city.
Time for change.

Vice President said there is nothing they can do for Detroit.

Time for change.
Kids need hope.
Children are the hope and the future of the USA.
Top 10 cities with crime and murder are the same.
70% graduating from High School.
Unemployment rate near 50%.

Dear Mr. President and leaders in Washington.
Time to quit trying to fix a world who do not want our help.
It is time to fix your house.
Your house is broken.

Time for common man to gather.
Only time a politician cared for the poor.
is election time.

Many broken promises.
I pray for the sake of the kids of Detroit.
Next election new people who know the truth from a lie come from somewhere.

                                 Coyote
                           John Castellenas

Author's Note

Real life is more scary than fiction.

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

A very sad, heartfelt poem but true. The leadership does not care for the country or its people. Detroit was once the grandest city in the US, it was compared to Paris once upon a time. Now its a symbol of the pain our leaders are inflicting upon this country over time. Leaders who truly care of the country and its people would be nice, not ones who lie just to get elected. You did a great job on this poem Country Poetry.

[Coyote Poetry]

Thank you Tina. Time for change. The cities in the USA need help. Time to invest in our kids and people.

[one sky]

Very sad. All you've said are true. It's time to fix your own house...your own place...your country.
Sometimes, we are looking at a distance, trying to see and fix anything wrong in it, though we do not look on our own house which needs more of our attention. We are busy helping others while our own selves need our attention...

"Many broken promises.
I pray for the sake of the kids of Detroit.
Next election new people who know the truth from a lie come from somewhere."

Who won't be disappointed if during the election you can hear so much promises which are only broken after the event? We are forming this world for our future generation..the youth. They need a safe place to live in.

Nice poem, Coyote. I always love your concept.

[Coyote Poetry]

I told my kids. Pay attention to your world. A quiet and blind people will be led to the slaughter without a fight or a scream. Can't allow the Federal Government to control all things. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Renée]

oh they care for the poor...to keep them down and dependent....never lifting up to stay up...
California where I am and it is sinking quickly..our voting system is crooked now...businesses leaving the state...on the verge of being a sanctuary state..who is going to pay for that ?
Another question...where does all that confiscated drug money go? I am sure nothing worthy... we all see .. government needs to take a long hard look at itself..says it is by the people..but we seem helpless to implement the changed needed...

[Coyote Poetry]

My company give sale tax of 3 million a year to the state. We are low volume compare to most big business. Government received a lot of taxes. Where does the money go. Look at the budget. 1.2 billion for House and Senate to eat and live. Time for change before it is too late. I agree. A down and out people won't fight back. If we don't fight for freedom and a better world. USA is in big trouble. Thank you for the comment.

[Renée]

Thank you Coyote for giving a space to come together and find we are not alone in thoughts..

[Mark]

real life is more scary, cuz it's real. I heard an interesting program on the radio (I listen to talk radio a lot). It seems that one of the major reasons companies don't want to build factories in the U.S. is that there is no consistency regarding taxes and regulations. Other countries like China have set policies, that companies know will not change.

We need to become more industry friendly if we want to create more work. We also need to teach people to run their own businesses, so they can create jobs as well. Wouldn't be great if we got to a point where companies had trouble finding workers because everyone who wanted to had a job?

Have to start somewhere, your poem is a great write for a once great city. Thank you for sharing.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are right. Many places got repaired. Using simple projects. Give empty property to companies willing to create real and full time work. Offer good deals to new companies to stay in the USA. A working people is a content people. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Eileenws]

What a sad memoir. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Eileen

[Mizo4]

Interesting imagery of a broken city wrecked by the lack of buisness and this instil a sadness. People needing work and opportunities where there is nice, i hope things in detroit improve and this poem clearly illustrated many issues.

[Coyote Poetry]

It is most of our cities. Three weeks ago. 13 kids killed in Chicago. When kids have no future or education. Few good outlets for them. Education is key. Full time work with good pay. Easy fixes if we had wise folks in leadership. Many places had found success. Follow their example. Thank you for reading and the comment.

[Mizo4]

yeah i agree, education and good quality of life. i believe helthcare is very important for peoples equality i pray in the future all countries have national health services and improved education for all people

[Sheila Kline]

My Dear Friend,

If you ask me, the only answer to our problems is "A REVOLUTION"! We need to clean house and start over with a NEW CONSTITUTION! I'm not being a traitor. I am speaking the truth energized by the words of Patrick Henry over 200 years ago. He was against the constitution as we know it today from the beginning, and if his fellow patriots had listened to his words then, we would not be where we are today, for Mr. Henry advocated individual and state's rights above a strong, central government.

We are at the mercy of big government, and lobbyists who rule us with their money and power. It is not what the people want, it is what their money can buy. Big government is feeding itself for its own purpose at our expenses!

How do we start over? Of course, a revolution is no easy task - but, The Boston Tea Party led to a revolution - people standing united for the same goal. The way to bring this out of control federal government monster to its knees is to take away its revenue.

How do we do that...........A TAX STRIKE! If the majority refused to pay their taxes, the government would be crippled, and forced to concede some of their power to the common man. They want and need money. We want action!

The Federal Government would be forced to reorganize, hopefully under a new constitution guided by Mr. Henry's original tenets of freedom - a belief in individual rights, state's rights, and a central government subservient to the will of the people! The old must go to allow the new to rule!

Thank you for such an eye opening write with strong convictions of our need to stand up for free people everywhere!!! Detroit, the inner cities, the rust belt, the farm belt, and the Bible belt all suffer at the hands of big government!!! Who is the next to fall. Who will have the courage to say, "Mr. Vice-President, we have this handled....we the people, by the people, for the people will "git her done"!
Amen!!

My friend in summing up what I am expressing.........if the states and individuals had the freedom to manage affairs themselves, then we would not need the help of the Vice-President, or the central government. As we are governed today, big government is our only help, and they are failing us miserably as they serve only their self-interests - not that of the people!

Yes, we need change!!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree. Time to close down federal government. Allow states to run themselves. 47 million on welfare. We are in trouble. Thank you for reading and the detail comment.

[Sheila Kline]

Yes, my friend..........let's turn out the lights - the party's over!!!!

[Baby Ricochet]

I was just in Detroit like two weeks ago. We went downtown and saw a band that were playing at the Detroit art museum. The band were called "Wire." Downtown, at least where the museum was wasn't bad. It looked like they'd put a lot of time, effort and money into revitalizing the place. Of course, like many US cities I knew what I was seeing was an oasis in a city of despair. Just like Tampa. They clean up a few streets in Ybor city while the rest of the town goes to hell in a hand basket. I don't know who they think they're fooling but it's not us.

[Coyote Poetry]

I saw Tampa also. Big cites are struggling. Look at USA budget. We give away billions to foreign countries who have no debt. We are led by fools. Thank you reading and the comment.

[Brandon S. Whitten]

Splendid read and write. Thank you for sharing. We need a miracle, another president will make it worse...too late.

[Coyote Poetry]

We have our President for three more years. He is doing little for the cities. Cutting education. Few leaders are worst a nickle. Washington won't change till the lobbyist quit controlling the Senate and the House. Thank you for reading.