Blistery steps and loud roars

make up the city’s symphony.

Shouts of obscenity,

music so loud,

all meld into

a cacophonous sound

of cultures,

of stories,

from long, long ago,

of histories,

of peoples

from all around the globe.

They meld into one

as they share their own gift

to create a center

where people can live

with grit,

with smiles,

as together

they endure

life’s trials.