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Here's the other poem I wrote for my black history school assembly.
Unforgettable
We will never forget our brothers,
Malcolm, Martin, and Medger.
And we will never disregard our sisters,
Fannie, Shirley, and Ruby.
We will not forget the anger and hate that was thrust upon Rodney and Emmett.
We will remember the strength of Mamie Till to show the world what happened to her boy.
We will remember Rodney asking the Nation, ”Can we get along?”
We won’t forget the bravery of the Little Rock Nine or the patience of the Greensboro Four.
We will remember the boycotts and the protests,
Along with the dogs and water hoses.
We will not forget the people from the past,
Who wouldn’t give up and fought for their rights. For even those who were not in the spotlight,
Still shine like diamonds.
For they showed courage and determination,
In a time of fear and discrimination.
So let us never erase these people from our memory,
For each and every one of them is unforgettable.
This is one of the two poems that I wrote this year for a black history assembly at my school.
Blind
Can’t see it.
Can’t feel it.
Can’t recognize it.
You’re blind.
You turn away from the struggle of others.
You won’t hear about the injustice.
You pretend it’s all in the past.
You’re blind.
Don’t act like isn’t here.
Don’t act like it isn’t there.
Don’t make-believe it's all gone away.
Don’t look away from all the pain.
Your guilt is telling you to turn away.
Your fear is making you hateful.
Your hate is turning you violent.
Your ignorance has made you blind.
My words might be beautiful, but they are empty
Devoid of soul, devoid of feelings, a low hanging fantasy
I use it as traps, trying to catch strangers' hearts
Trying to cram those pieces into my chest, hoping mine would start
My hands are so red, I have crossed too many lines
Does my guilt absolves me? Do I still have the right to call this pain mine?
As my self-made ghosts roam around this false cemetery,
As my body sinks with the weight of the burden I chose to carry,
Can I still forgive myself before this imaginary coffin turns real?
For all the wounds I've inflicted, for all the wounds I never learned to heal.
It is my tragedy to have you as my enemy
Once upon a time, you loved me dearly
Sweeter than I prefer until it turned bitter
Everything soured, words could've been phrased better
But once a year, like an eclipse, we'll be back
Trying to touch those hands, tiptoeing around the cracks
You'd pour salt in my wounds and I'd offer you a smile
It is my tragedy, to have a taste of you for a while.
Untie your hands, love, use your feet
Let go of my waist, dance to your own beat
It will be clear, if only you'd wipe away your tears
For your happiness, I'd go and face my fears
The wind in my sails, we're at your stop
Promise me I'll at least be in your map.
I knew I loved you then, but I didn't tell
You've only fallen and I wasn't well
Cold, cold days with arms wrapped mine
Flowers were wilting, and you're looking for a sign
I want to be better, you want me to be yours
I keep screaming, screaming 'till my voice is hoarse
But you didn't know, didn't know 'cause you were deaf and blinded
I was paralyzed, trying to be found, you're lost, we're both stranded
I was rage, you were kindness, we made a home out of lies
Second chances, third ones, a promise that flies
A pair of wings growing while one withers away
I will never deserve you, I didn't ask for you to stay.
I take off the hatred, take off the love
Until I am empty, breathless and numb
And I lay beside you, under the stars
We're kids again, ignorant of the wars
Yet your hand, I can no more hold
You used to radiate warmth, now it's cold
And I expect you to recount my mistakes, where I went wrong
But all I could hear is a familiar melody, you're humming our song
So I reach out and laces our fingers, this is not the end
We're just two kids with broken hearts, we could start again.
One eye blind, one bright and clear
Both swimming with doubts, both filled with fear
One hand with gun, one gripping yours
Both bloody and bruised, both aching with force
Your lips on my ears, whispering the same words again and again
Telling me you're sorry, to pick up the pen
But the one's not holding mine, clutches a sword
And blood flows through my mouth instead of words.
My heart clenches as if it can still feel
Can still discern what's right, what's real
But I know better, it was torn
The day it fell for you, I was reborn
I can still feel the phantom beating
I can still hear the echoes of footsteps receding
The day it fell for you, I was reborn
That was the last day in my sleeve, it was worn.
I hide behind these walls, I hide away my soul
Yet one look from you I fall, one look and you stole
What was never mine and has always been yours
You're good, you're good, I whisper as it gets worse
We're not meant to be, you made me happy
We're not meant to be, a footnote in your story
We're not meant to be, all I want is an apology
We're not meant to be, please tell me why you left me.
My fingers graze your skin
And my heart beats loud and fast
A flinch, and a step back
The scene shatters in a flash
I blink my eyes open
As sunlight filters to my room
And I reached for your side
To be met with empty sheets
It is a beautiful day
But I close my eyes, letting myself drift
To the land of dreams
Back to you again.
I was running when you found me
With my heart filled of thorns and your head crowned with daisies
In the field of dandelions we met
Your tired eyes looked at mine with regret
With petals in my hands, and yours filled with blood
We part ways, losing what we never have.
I wonder if I flit through your mind
If there are times you still try to find
Me, in those songs, those places
If in your life, I left some spaces
For you part me with a void, an aching in my soul
The face I look for in the crowd, the name I try to howl
Or maybe you don't even remember
The girl you've given a hasty farewell that chilly December.
My heart aches as you walk near
You, who've once taken everything I held dear
You have some nerve to come to me
When you made certain to ruin who I could be
Are you here to gloat, parade your victory?
I want to go, but you won't set me free
And I'm tired, I have nothing left to give
I wish you wouldn't come back once you leave.
We're here again, stuck in the same place
With flames in my eyes, tears streaking through your face
I can see the tension you carry, the way your shoulders sag
All I did was raise your red flags
I can't be your hero, can't love you the way you want me to
So why won't you go, why not leave too?
Why won't you fight? You deserve someone better
Don't weigh yourself down with me, I'm a monster
Believe what you believe, but I can't be, I can't be better.
My pen glides through the paper as I bleed you out
The ink tells what I can't speak through my mouth
It seems I lost my voice since you left
Not does it matter, with me, you're always deaf
I beg for you to stay, I plead for just another minute
But you're hellbent on tearing my heart, blowing it to bits
Yet you say there's nobody crueler than I
When you didn't even think twice when you said goodbye.
I float, empty, a husk
In solitude, I bask
Don't let me, don't let me drown
Fill this void and anchor me down.
I watch the pebble skips in the water
As my heart flips, flips, flips
The ghost of your touch, my knees waver
And I weep, weep, weep.
I smile as I lift my phone up high
It was one of those nights that don't make me wish to die
There was singing and teary eyes
As the laughter echoes, and we're free of lies
And for the first time since I can remember
I slept with thoughts of getting better
For them with my side
I can do anything, I can try.
I was watching the moon up in the sky
As I sat up and sigh
I told the stars I'm letting you go
That it hurts, but I have to grow
I hope the whispered message reaches you
I forgive you and I'll learn to forgive myself too
Though I know I'll miss you forever
I accepted that things end, connections sever
And I wish, I wish someday when we meet
I can smile and say I'm happy without lying through my teeth.
I can hear your laughter echo in my head
I can feel the love I wish to raise back from the dead
Your footsteps recede, you turn your back
I whimper and stare, still in shock
For even if I knew you're gonna leave
That we run out of stories to weave
My fragile heart can't still accept it
That it'll no more flutter to your smile, it won't no longer beat.
Often I wonder if I'll ever hear your voice again
'Cause I can no longer remember its sound, its tone
I can only feel the warmth it brings when it rains
The way it made my heart skips, the way it chilled my bones
I wonder if you still laugh the same
If my soul, your singing can still tame
'Cause all I have now is a dusty memory
One that's leaving me, leaving me slowly
So here I am, still hoping against it all
That you'll one day give me call
That once again, I'll feel that honey dripping in my ears
Just so I can be reminded, there's someone real behind these tears.
We dream, we love, we cry
We live, we strive, we die
No matter what, it's the same fucking cycle
Long bloody wars, the never-ending battles
And I want out, I want to run away
From the life I'm doomed, from the words they have to say
So go on, pull that trigger
Maybe in death, there is something better.
I feel the hatred in your eyes as you look at me
It was once love, now tell me, what do you see?
A monster with your bloodied heart in her hands
A cruel savage wreaking havoc in these lands
Oh I know, I know, an apology won't cut it
But please believe that I meant every bit
I told you, I told you, don't give me something I do not deserve
I'm only meant from afar, something to be observed
I am chaos, I destroy everything I touch
Now, the pieces shatter, as you resent me and watch.
Does my love make you feel good?
Does it make you feel things you thought you never would?
A slave to your evey whim
Offered my light so yours won't dim
Is this all we are?
The moon and the dying star
Is this what you meant when you promised me something real?
When I have nothing left to give, will you love me still?
Do you make me feel good?
Not anymore, but I wish you would, I wish you would.
I remember lying in the snow
With the winter lights giving you an ethereal glow
Our hands intertwined, my heart beating fast
The night sky shined only for us
Oh, how I wish we've stayed there
When there are no worlds yet for us to bear
You were mine and I was yours
Now, we're cold shoulders and slamming doors.
Catch me, catch me, but we're both falling
To my hands, don't you cling
I'm black and blue, you're shining golden
Blood runs black, wounds gaping open
This is an illusion, I'm not your forever
Lying through our teeth, don't you remember?
My voice in your head, a song, a warning
This is a trap, now we better start running.
Tell me another lie
Please, anything but goodbye
You are my poison
But you are also my cure
I'd rather live in your prison
Inhale you sweet and pure
For your taste, I'll now forever crave
I'm dying, but I don't want to be saved
So, drown me in your essence
This is how my soul will be cleansed.
The moon-
That was the last thing I remember
We were staring at it
Like it was the most beautiful thing ever
Then a hug
For that was the last time we'll see each other
I wish I have stayed
On that warm night of November.
As I walk, it feels heavy
I know this won't make me happy
So, though I want to continue the show
I turned my back without letting them know
Maybe I'll put an end to this tonight
And accept that I lost this fight
For I can't go and pretend anymore
I can't continue banging on these doors
The fog is covering my mind
The exit is something I cannot find
So I will simply make my own
When I leave this world at dawn.