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The Street Only Knew Your Name (after Van)



You saw childhood wherever you looked, heard a blizzard of advice

to leave behind all the things you’d once held dear.

You gambled with every emotion but was unaware of the price

you would be forced to pay to anyone remaining near.

I know things went worse than expected, but you must arise

above the slings and arrows of jealousy and shame.

Then bring to me these many scars you’ve learned to despise

when you were young, and the street only knew your name.


I spent many needless nights searching for only a word

that could make eloquent sense of what we’d gone through.

You surrendered to an avenue of escape, yet I never heard

exactly what disaster you’d escaped, what other life you’d gone into.

It’s easy enough to say you ducked every obligation

out of fear of failure, perhaps love, loyalty, or blame.

To raise you up again would offer you little salvation

from when you were young, and the street only knew your name.


Many storms have carried me here, more are yet to come

before I lay down my testament forgiving the past.

You travel endlessly for no reason, and your energy is the sum

of every ounce of despair not yet brought to ask.

Your soul seems dead and your heart is asleep,

and now my body next to you feels the same.

You saw childhood wherever you looked, but nothing will keep

you from the days you were young and the street only knew your name.

This is an impressive piece of work, i must say. Your work is gathering in pace and quality and soul searching and is excellent.
Georges