Lyrically dangerous and metaphorically ill
If you say the wrong thing around here it will probably get you killed
We on that ghetto grind, bullets flying by your head as you’re trying to hide
When the bullets stop spraying that’s when the sirens start blaring
Just kidding, this is not where I’m from, this is not how I begun
I am from a good neighborhood where only the police had guns
Coming home from school I’d jump off the bus
Run up the hill with my sister to my house to see what my Grandma cooked for us
After a good meal, I sit down and watch my show with my favorite fry cook
AH HA HA if you know then you know
The weather is sunny but not too hot if you let the breeze in
Everything is dry because it hasn’t rained in three seasons
Our sports teams will just make you sad, because the GM’s can be scandalous
I'm not mad, I just hope our football team does better in Los Angeles
I am from sunsets so beautiful it can make a grown man cry
Make you cry harder than when your favorite character dies
But overall, my city has made me a different person.....like an alter ego
Spoiling me with all the good things, everything is fuego
These are all the reasons why I love beautiful San Diego
I am from a house with both parents and two sisters, how lovely
I am from a house that loves German Shepherd puppies
I am from a culture that loves to eat, what a treat, someone is always cooking up some meat
This is what made me
This is why I am me
When people ask where I am from
I tell them proudly
Analysis of My Poem
To begin my poem I started with a false picture of where I grew up. I did this, mostly as a joke, to poke fun at people who act like they are from the hood. In todays society, young people like to have this false idea of how they were raised and what they went through. I hear many people talk about struggles they never lived through. People change their vocabulary to try to fit into this "hood'' illusion. After I was done making a joke, I began to describe what my childhood was like through my favorite memory. Everyday after school my Grandma would have my favorites food cooked. I would immediately sit down and eat. After I was done eating, I went straight to the tv to watch my shows. These were much simpler times and I will always cherish them. I began to slowly describe my city because I wanted the audience to try to guess where I am from. I gave bigger hints as I went like saying our football team recently moved to Los Angeles. Finally, I revealed where I am from and started to describe things that made me who I am. My culture, my family, and my city helped shape me into who I am today. San Diego will always be my home. 
I did like your joke. I liked the rhyme, the sense of spoken word or hip/hop poetry.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the integration of Spanish, which is a huge part of San Diego. Can you imagine San Diego without the Spanish language? I can't.
Hi Enrique,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your poem because it was different than all the others I have read. I thought it was very fun to read and I liked that you rhymed through out the poem. I agree with Professor Flew and I read it in my head as a sort of song or slam poetry piece. I also thought it was very personable and down to earth, I feel like I know you and your personality more deeply now. I liked the sense of openness to the poem, it wasn't too specific to your life but rather where you came from geographically and how that shaped you. At first, I couldn't gather where you were from, but as the poem progressed I was able to narrow down the state, and then clearly identify where you were from when you mentioned Spanish and the weather. I really liked your poem and I enjoyed reading it!
-Kelly Buergel
I really liked how you began the poem rhyming and spit some bars and then transitioned into who you really are and where you are from. This also shows your creative side and humor. Great overall poem.
ReplyDeleteHi Enrique,
ReplyDeleteYou made me laugh with the first sentences, I like you rhyming and thank you for giving insight in to your life. I like how you described San Siego and that it does not rain often.
Best,
Kevin Ayala