Marty,

My name is James E. Duncan and I am a teacher at P.S. 315 School of Performing Arts here in Brooklyn. Over the past four years of teaching there I have seen you speak at our Graduation ceremony three times. I have always been impressed with the impact you have on the kids when you speak and your dedication to the education of our young by being there year after year.

However, it was this year when I heard you speak at my own Graduation from Brooklyn College (Masters) that I was impressed by enthusiasm and love for our home town of Brooklyn. As you know, and stated so emphatically, Brooklyn is like no other place in the world. It was your speech, letting everyone in the audience know that gave me the idea to send you something I wrote a few years ago after moving to Brooklyn

I hope you enjoy it.
Sincerely you fellow Brooklynite
James E. Dunan

BROOKLYN'S GOT!

Some places have
Some places have not.

LET ME TELL YOU, WHAT BROOKLYN GOT!!

Attitude not altitude
From our heights that are not.
CHUTZPAH
That’s what!

A view of Manhattan,
Yeah, thanks a lot.
DIGNITY,
That’s what.

And as for Pride,
Look at it from Our Side.

Whitman not Whitney
Miller and Mailer
& Copeland, B.A.M. Hot
That’s what Brooklyn Got.

We’ve got soul, we’ve got spirit
Not media scenery
Stories with tress
That lends us some greenery.

We’ve got Pines and some Firs
Oaks Walnuts & Birches.
Synagogues, Mosques,
And so many Churches.

You want Religion?
We’ve got the sect.
You name the language,
We’ve got it in dialect.

We’ve got Fort Green and Flatbush
And a place they call Bensonhurst.
And you want to know what?
They called us Long Island first!

We’ve got the best tasting cheesecake
We brew our own Beer.
And food from Alaska
To South Africa Here.

We’ve got a climate
From all the worlds reaches.
We got Moroccans in parkers
And Russians on beaches.

It gets as cold as the Artic
And as hot as Algiers.
And we’ve had a CYCLONE
For over 75 Years.

We may not impress you?
You might not even visit us.
But you can not go anywhere
And say it is like us.

Wherever you live
Whoever you are
Your life’s been affected
By some Brooklyn born Star.

You might live in some small town
And stay home with Aunt Mideg.
But I bet that the both of you
Can picture our Bridge.

Wherever you are
Wherever you go
We are part of a place
That all of you know.

Presence!
That’s what
BROOKLYN’S GOT!!!!!

James E. Duncan