Corrosion From the Urban Tongue
-The poor folks play for keeps down here, They’re the living dead
Corrosion From the Urban Tongue
Jeers and jostle, street apostle
Passioned cries, ghetto brothel
Alley trash, who beg for alms
Greasy words and greasy palms
Rusty words of oxidation
Urban filth, contamination
Acidic salt, corrosive slime
Sewer garbage, crack house grime
Corner queens, hellish screams
Sucker punch, stolen dreams
The craftsmanship of busted lips
Cut your tongue out, should you flip
Putrid painting, toxic mold
Whispered cries of growing old
Mumbling grizzled winter witch
Every eye looks at the snitch
Insults, gossip, degradation
Clip your tongue for decoration
Slither slip deep in your throat
Grasping for that blip of moat
Finger flick, skillful lick
Rhyme is dope, words are slick
Ultimatum, chances ended
Shut ya mouf, its recommended
Alley stalker, not a talker
Respect the knife, save your life
Window duels, tenement rules
Money talk from fools and mules
Hungry babies, barking rabies
Pimping shouts of lords and ladies
Silence speaks of violence
Sinner song, the words are wrong
Guns come out, so run along
Might makes right, longest night
Fighting words demand a fight
Inner city, speech committee
A million voices, but none are pretty
Footnote
The quote at the beginning of this piece is from a song, Mean Street, by the American music group, Van Halen (1981, Fair Warning)
About the Author
R.J. Schwartz is an American poet, having previously published, Poetry of the Human Condition: The Ups and Downs of Modern Living
The Lover’s Thread, Poetry for Couples, and contributed to The Creative Exiles an anthology of poems: Let the Words Speak
He also recently published a Science-Fiction novel, which he co-wrote with his son, called The Secrets of the Moon
His newest book, Things That Go Bump in the Night, Poetry of Fear and Fright, will be released in April, 2023.
To read more of this author’s work, his works can be found here.
- Never Say Never - November 20, 2023
- Imprisonment - November 14, 2023
- The Tangled Forest - October 30, 2023







I love the line “inner city, speech commitee” maybe not a representative line of the powerful nature of your poem but I love how it flows. Anyways, great poem. Always such a bleak contrast between nature poetry and urban poetry. Jamie