I am Federal Way

Mistaken and forsaken

Birthplace of trouble

Homes of games and gangs

They say I am rough for they have seen the crimes

They say I am cold for they have seen the rain and snow

They say I am scary for they have seen my history

But this is when I say to them,

Give me the name of a city where the community is stronger and the bonds are tighter.

Give me the name of a city with more friends that make amends

Give me the name of a city that is brighter with the heart of a fighter

Surely I am not a comparison to the Emerald or its lesser stone,

And to say I am a diamond in the rough would be a bluff, but to say I am a gem is enough.

Austin Brooks, Federal Way