She used to boom and bustle,
now she yearns and yawns.
‘Cause Philadelphia is a city tired.
her bones ache these days and she’s been napping
more than she used to.
we saw her waking over a month ago,
we saw her squint her eyes at the sun.
(’cause Philadelphia is a city hopeful)
we asked, “who is going to help you?
who will make you coffee?
who will say, ‘good morning love, you need to wake up.’
who will tell your story?”
she said, with a smile, that she is waiting for her revival,
ever waiting for her promising patrons to do their part.
she said, “the answer lies in the ones growing up near my groggy eyes.”
she said the answer lies in her children
for they are her historians,
fact-finders, fact-livers, perfect primary sources.
they are the story-tellers of both her tale and their own-
“if anyone is to save me,” she spoke,
it has got to be them.
& 