Standing barefoot on the back porches,
of the tenement where I grew,
we didn't have much money,
but this I always knew,
I was part of a close knit family,
who took good care of me.
I never ever, once felt poor,
as rich in love as I could be.
We never had the newest things,
our clothes were secondhand.
When food was scarce, my mom would say,
"We'll do the best we can."
We never did go hungry,
we always had just enough,
we never felt we were lacking,
whenever times were tough.
My loving father left me,
with wonderful memories,
of the stories told, the games we played,
the advice he gave so free.
My loving mother gave to me,
music, theatre, books and art.
All things that she loved, now I love,
their beauty speaks to my heart.
Our Christmases were always special,
filled with color, laughter, joy.
I'm not sure how they did it,
but we always got a toy.
New shoes every school year,
a new dress for me, for my brother pants and vest,
when we showed up on that first day of school,
we would always look our best.
An old couple lived across the porch,
one day they called to me.
"Hurry up!" they shouted,
"We have something for you to see."
They gave me an old bike they'd fixed,
my very first bike, ever.
The memory of how I felt that day,
will stay with me forever.
All the things that I remember,
from a childhood I can't forget,
have turned me into the person I am,
and is still shaping me yet.
A sweet childhood of memories,
I can never put aside,
of a little girl, who grew up loved,
on the streets of Chicago's South Side.