{Verse 1} – Alpha Brown
Sitting in this third place working on my second
Summarising stories of my troubled adolescence
Recognising local faces finding purpose in their present
Making conscious effort to support our independents
Sharpening my pencil with my mentors in youth centres
These connections fundamental to develop our potential
Asking questions, learning lessons and changing our perceptions
A poet’s search for parents is lost in every orphaned sеntence
I dream about thеse streets my inspirations avant-garde
Sights of town square, local markets, city park and boulevard
Spaces of the everyday where people come to be a part of
Homegrown, people-owned, works of art
Where we gather to reflect, recover and restore
Escape from our landscape and balance out our thoughts
I’m writing for the cause to find peace within this war
Then start a revolution in these four humble walls
{Hook}– Alpha Brown
Third place is heart of the community
Where people learn and love in shared unity
X2
{Verse 1 Continued} – Alpha Brown
It’s the hub of the neighbourhood
To cultivate the greater good
A place to discuss, debate, create and become
Where the youth grew up and filled their souls
Gold weighing down on the shoulders of the road
Now all our public spaces have been
Sold to the highest bidder
Seven figure, never been here
Green to grey, our nature littered
Middle finger those who live here
All our voices made a whisper
Burst the bank to flow the river
Drown us out with city slickers
Shallow swimmers
Now we’re touching at a distance
Stranger’s victim in a system
With no empathy to listen
They divide our commonality
Our habitat in atrophy
All on us to plant the seeds
Restore our streets diversity
Our playground of democracy
{Verse 2} - Sipho Eric Ndlovu
It was written
But mine was amazon delivered - the message, in book form, no Grandmaster
A different sentiment in a setting that we be reppin’
When we just need to talk, vent, date or catch perspective
So, it was written
No Nasty Nas, a different instance
Another kind of lecture turned literature so we listened
To the Oldenburg philosophy, well counter that, it's actually
Urban sociology that's gripped my pen inspired me
To walk along, see where I am, it’s so poetic
This subject is lyrical & academic
But the rhythm is humanly infectious
Reminds us all about the vibes that we all cherish
First places: Home
Second places: Work
Third Places informal spaces where we emerge
But these are the cafes, corner shops, post offices, remember those
Where we are remembered for neither the professional, the partner to whomever, we're connected by our Saturday morning routines. We meet - where it’s nothing but “good morning” or “hello you”, how's it going?
It's the differing views we often dispute that are refused entry to these moments that are housed in these areas of our micro societies, where we can minimise what we politicise. We can share a smile or with a mask we smise
We barely try, we just see what is. And who you are - like no commenting shades were ever offered. We are allowed acceptance in these spaces
Third place that's the heart of the community
I hope this dissertation visualises our unity
Queen Latifah U.N.I.T.Y as fly as one can be
Respects as easy as this sax spitting poetry