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Beth DeSombre: Music

Fun Will Find A Way

(Beth DeSombre)
Fun Will Find A Way

South side of Chicago in the summer
Days as hot as late night radio
The gangs that claim the corners take their tariff
They circumscribe where everyone can go

This neighborhood's not safe for those who live here
Broken homes are ringed by broken glass
But kids race sticks to storm drains down the gutters
And handball can be played where there’s no grass

Fun will find a way
Games of stickball in the alley in the fading light of day
When danger blocks the playground kids will find a place to play
Fun will find a way

A shantytown's a hard place to raise children
Thin walls don't keep out neighbors, rats or noise
Days spent finding food and hauling water
Don't leave much time or money left for toys

The families make do with what they scavenge
Though dolls and books are nowhere to be found
But children are resourceful in favelas
They'll play with anything they find around

Fun will find a way
Cars made out of scraps of tin that others threw away
Games of tag don't need equipment; everyone can play
Fun will find a way

Days are mostly quiet in the desert
But now and then explosions crack the sky
With parents nursing grudges old as Sampson
The ones who mourn are left to wonder why

Children learn to navigate the checkpoints
They learn where not to run and when to hide
But they'll take any moment they are given
To kick a ball with no one choosing sides

Fun will find a way
Games of soccer break the deadlock when the whole town comes to play
And when sides are picked they’re not the same from day to day
Fun will find a way

There's hope for all the rest of us as long as children play
Fun will find a way

© Beth DeSombre