The Promise

A block, shot, and stop
seconds took hours to drop
a whole city fixated on a clock
ZERO, disbelief on every block

joyous tears in the crowd
Cleveland’s turn to be proud
relief, 52 years of heartache
The king, happy to break

Cleveland, this is for you
his proclamation that cut through
our steel workers to clinic intake
south from Medina to the lake

Celebration erupted downtown
millions of people, not one frown
love I had never seen before
hugs from strangers hard to ignore

steady flow at bars had run dry
no alcohol was needed to get by
our city rode the natural high
A promise kept, you can’t deny