# data[].attributes.body
Wealth I do not believe in you
Let me live minimum life
Life of with want, joy and hardship
I shall be happy on earth

Can I sustain myself on earth?
Can I provide for my family needs?
Does family have respectable shelter?
Can I give some charity to the needy?

If those questions are in the positive
Then why accumulate material wealth?
What fame do I want in real sense?
What is that pride for anyway?

My friend, listen to this I say today
For every extra car, shirt you have
For the extra acres of land you possess
For every idle dollar you keep

There is someone you cause to suffer
Consider the temporary existence on earth
Take note of the temporary nature of life
Then why deny fellow humans basic needs?

Pride with accumulated wealth on earth
Is to be a human lioness void of reason
But pride in wealth of the brain, good name
Pride in wealth of humility and love count

Virtues are superior forms of wealth
They are best investments in humanity

Copyright © Solomon Ochwo-Oburu | Year Posted 2017

S

# data[].attributes.body
Though the road to success is as the road to salvation
A slim and narrow road paved with tribulations,
Difficult these obstacles are, yet not impossible to overcome
My keys to success inner strength and application of wisdom

I refuse to fail
I refuse to fall
I will prevail
I can conquer all

See I wasn't always in this peaceful space
It took great efforts to get where I am at in this race.
The race of life where I am competing against myself
To gain, peace, prosperity good health, and increase my wealth

I refuse to fail
I refuse to fall
I will prevail
I can conquer all

Negative thinking has no place with me and mine
It must be positive or else it's a waste of time.
Time wasted serves me not, it doesn't equate with my soul
I can become a better man if I continue pushing to my goal

I refuse to fail
I refuse to fall
I will prevail
I can conquer all

Slowing down, will not get me to where I need to be.
There is no way that I can stop my activities
I want to see the fruits of my labors the work of my own hands
In less than seven years reach financial independence, to be my own man.

I refuse to fail
I refuse to fall
I will prevail
I can conquer all

I needn't work for someone else, increase their worth and glory
That's not what I want for myself, that's not how to end my story.
A Strong Family, contentment of heart, peace of mind for these I toil
Work to see my hands fruition, provided for my families future, to these remain loyal

I've set my head straight my path I mustn't alter
A course I've set for myself I will not falter
My mindset on this position
Can be answered in my affirmation
I refuse to fail
I refuse to fall
I will prevail
I can conquer all

Nahshon - Rae 12/15/2004

# data[].attributes.body
I love the song "Let It Be" by The Beatles. I think it is inspiring and shows that in certain situations you have to just let things be and happen as they will.

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

And when the broken-hearted people
Living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be

For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Yeah, there will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be

I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
There will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
There will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, yeah, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

# data[].attributes.body
Blackbird- the beetles

"Blackbird"

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly
Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird fly
Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

# data[].attributes.body
Gone with the Wind
By Joseph May

I asked about the Chimariko tribe When spring was in full bloom
I got the answer in the wind
And all I felt was gloom

I searched to find the Timucua tribe
in the summer of the rains
I heard the answer in the thunder
And all I felt was pain

I searched to find the Calusa tribe
When autumn winds were due
And when I heard the answer
All I felt was blue

Never saw them in the history books
But in movies they were portrayed
Often seen as savages
But we never knew their ways

But they were indeed great warriors
And a proud people too
But once they met the Europeans
These warriors were through.......

Copyright © Joseph May | Year Posted 2017

* Even though this was just participation, I spent a lot of time probably too much on a little but meaningful assignment. I shed tears, going through poem after poem of heartache, and the historical trauma our people live with in this day and age. People want to tell us to "get over it", not realizing that our culture could have been many times stronger if our anscestors didn't suffer the way they did. We as a people suffer daily, but what I loved about this poem is that it depicts even though our people lost WHOLE TRIBES that are now extinct, the ones who stand, are survivors! My tribal people were once river people, who got assimilated here to what is now known as our reservation.  Forever warriors at heart, I will continue to strive to help my reservation when I am done in school, so we as a people can grow and keep fighting to be seen as human beings.

# data[].attributes.body
Still I Rise

BY MAYA ANGELOU

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops,

Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don't you take it awful hard

’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines

Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame

I rise

Up from a past that’s rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise.

# data[].attributes.body
I Dare You by Bea Miller

I can remember a time when I was so afraid
When even my shadow wouldn't follow me

So I, I, I'm picking up my sword
To shatter all the pieces that I was before
'Cause I, I, I'm worth fighting for
For, for, for

So put me in a cage
Lock me in a room
Throw away the key
I dare you
I'll break down the walls
A higher wrecking ball
And I won't let you tear me down, no, oh, oh
Throw away the key
I dare you, oh, oh
And I won't let you tear me down, no

I had an opinion, but I never spoke my mind
And I wouldn't argue, even when I knew I was right

But I'm not that girl anymore
Yeah, I lost the battle but I won the war
'Cause I, I, I'm worth fighting for
For, for, for

So put me in a cage
Lock me in a room
Throw away the key
I dare you
I'll break down the walls
A higher wrecking ball
And I won't let you tear me down, no, oh, oh
Throw away the key
I dare you, oh, oh
And I won't let you tear me down, no

I just kept on running, running, running
Trying to find out who I was
I would go the distance but it wasn't far enough
But now I'm standing straight and know exactly who I am
Yeah, yeah
I can remember a time when I was so afraid

Put me in a cage
Lock me in a room
Throw away the key
I dare you
I'll break down the walls
A higher wrecking ball
And I won't let you tear me down, no, oh, oh
Throw away the key
I dare you, oh, oh
And I won't let you tear me down, no

# data[].attributes.body
Fight Song
by Rachel Platten
Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion
And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me
Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep
Everybody's worried about me
In too deep
Say I'm in too deep (in too deep)
And it's been two years I miss my home
But there's a fire burning in my bones
Still believe
Yeah, I still believe
And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me
A lot of fight left in me
Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong (I'll be strong)
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me
Know I've still got a lot of fight left in me

# data[].attributes.body
Another Day In Paradise

She calls out to the man on the street
'Sir, can you help me?
It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep,
Is there somewhere you can tell me?'

He walks on, doesn't look back
He pretends he can't hear her
Starts to whistle as he crosses the street
Seems embarrassed to be there

Oh think twice, it's another day for you and me in paradise
Oh think twice, 'cause it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise, think about it

She calls out to the man on the street
He can see she's been crying
She's got blisters on the soles of her feet
She can't walk but she's trying

Oh think twice, 'cause it's another day for you and me in paradise
Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise, think about it

Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do
Oh Lord, there must be something you can say

You can tell from the lines on her face
You can see that she's been there
Probably been moved on from every place
Cause she didn't fit in there

Oh think twice, 'cause another day for you and me in paradise
Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise, just think about it, think about it

It's just another day for you and me in paradise
It's just another day for you and me in paradise, paradise
It's just another day for you and me in paradise

# data[].attributes.body
Poverty is

A child dreaming of a handful of rice,
Who has to find food for himself.
A girl wishing to go to school,
To feel the laughter with some friends.
A sick mother with no medicine,
But has to save money for her family.
A woman who was famous as a singer
But she was all washed up.
People who are poor as church mice
Having no food to eat.
Poverty is a curse of humanity
Abstracting the poor           from the rich.
Poverty is an aftermath of the French war,
Turning Vietnamese’s lives upside down.
Poverty is people without jobs
Looking forward to becoming workers.
Poverty is people living on the street
Hearing “Z    O    O    M!” and
“BEEP!”
From the motorbikes.
Poverty is people breathing Carbon gas
Released by cars from the middle-class.
Poverty is the people working in the sun
Wondering what air conditioning would be like.
Poverty is a fainting child with an empty stomach
So hungry that he could eat a horse.
Poverty is workers shivering
For it’s raining cats and dogs.
Poverty is like a painful prison,
Pulling the panicking poor from
a good life.
Poverty is the dream of the poor:
Halve the food people eat.
Everyday goal is to survive,
And each night it’s dinner or dust.
Life is like climbing a mountain.
Some fall to the ground,
Some stand on its edge,
Some reach the summit.

Crushed in despair and depression,
Trapped in a burden of fees,
The poor fear what future brings.
But they keep on fighting,
For they’re full of hope
Of loafing their loved ones.
They fight to rise
Up and above the poverty line.
By dphung20, Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam

# data[].attributes.body
Poverty or Prosperity Poem

Is there such thing as poverty, is there such thing as prosperity?That is a question each much answer for themselves.

Is there such things as darkness, is there such things as light?That is a question you can see for yourself.

Poverty is where too much is in the wrong hands, not willing to share or care. Darkness is the absent of light, light is where darkness is not.When I look all around, I see light, I see prosperity.But some see darkness and some see only poverty.

How can we change this picture for others who do not?Will you share your light with others, will you share prosperity to?

Poverty, prosperity, darkness, and light; which one do you see?Will you share prosperity and light with others, or do I have to do it along?We are not on our own, we are not along. God has made it possible for us all.Spiritually, mentally, physically, financially, we are not along.There is a warehouse of blessing, waiting to be issued out, with a shout, it can be done.

There is no such thing as poverty, prosperity is only hidden behind the dark.Let us together, open our hands, and where there seem to be poverty, prosperity will come.

Where it seem to be darkness, light will come.Let us open our hands together and it will be done.

--Julius Lawrence/ Year Posted 2014

# data[].attributes.body
My favorite song is "Otherside" -Macklemore. Although Macklemore is known for a lot of his more comedic songs he talks about drug misuse and how he was caught up in an addiction too. This song talks about how you become stuck with the addiction and it becomes the only thing you think about. He also mentions how there are a lot more drugs that are harmful than what people think, like Oxycontin. Here is a powerful part of the song,
"Broken, hopeless, headed nowhere
Only motivation for what the dealer's supplying
That rush, that drug, that dope
Those pills, that crumb, that roach
Thinking I would never do that, not that drug
And growing up nobody ever does
Until you're stuck
Looking in the mirror like I can't believe what I've become
Swore I was going to be someone
And growing up everyone always does
We sell our dreams and our potential
To escape through that buzz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsGfHUC4xMI
Here is the link but it is explicit imagery and explicit words in the song.

# data[].attributes.body
"Sad Dad in Jail"

They put me in prison for the deed I've done

I killed the drunk driver who crippled you, son.

Your mother, my wife, she died in the wreck

That's the reason I broke that man's neck.

His dad was a rich man, who pulled lots of strings

So well connected he could do many things.

I live in this hellhole with all sorts of men

I'm sure glad most like me and call me their friend.

The food here is so awful, I've lost many pounds

I'd rather feast on the vittles the guards toss the hounds.

At night we play cards and you don't dare cheat

For if you get caught, you'll be stomped on by feet.

Most inmates fashion some sort of knife

To help out their odds in a fight for their life

I took me a padlock and snapped it on a chain

Then hid it in my pant-leg to keep from being slain.

I get to see you on our family day

The worst part about it, is when you cry as you play.

Many times you question, 'Dad, when can you leave'

As the tears from your eyes drop to my sleeve.

Our visit is now over as they wheel you away

I whisper, 'I love you' and you see what I say.

It's time to go back to my one-room, shared cell

And try to write a song about a sad dad in jail.

Tom Zart

# data[].attributes.body
I am sharing a Spanish song that is very inspirational because it shares the perspective of migrant parents and what they deal with here in the United States. I find it inspirational because I want to provide some good for my parents one day. The song is La Jaula de Oro (the golden cage) by Los Tirgres Del Norte.

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/la-jaula-de-oro-golden-cage.html

The link above leads to the lyrics (both in English and Spanish) and the music video to it is also there.

# data[].attributes.body
Rise Up by Andra Day

You're broken down and tired
Of living life on a merry-go-round
And you can't find the fighter
But I see it in you so we gonna walk it out
And move mountains
We gonna walk it out
And move mountains

And I'll rise up
I'll rise like the day
I'll rise up
I'll rise unafraid
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
And I'll rise up
High like the waves
I'll rise up
In spite of the ache
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
For you oh oh oh oh oh [4x]

When the silence isn't quiet
And it feels like it's getting hard to breathe
And I know you feel like dying
But I promise we'll take the world to its feet
And move mountains
Bring it to its feet
And move mountains
And I'll rise up
I'll rise like the day
I'll rise up
I'll rise unafraid
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again
For you oh oh oh oh oh [4x]

All we need, all we need is hope
And for that we have each other
And for that we have each other
And we will rise
We will rise
We'll rise, oh oh
We'll rise

I'll rise up
Rise like the day
I'll rise up
In spite of the ache
I will rise a thousand times again
And we'll rise up
High like the waves
We'll rise up
In spite of the ache
We'll rise up
And we'll do it a thousand times again
For you oh oh oh oh oh [4x]

# data[].attributes.body
Song: Stand
Artist: Rascal Flatts

You feel like a candle in a hurricane
Just like a picture with a broken frame
Alone and helpless, like you've lost your fight
But you'll be all right, you'll be all right

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend till you break
'Cause it's all you can take
On your knees, you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

Life's like a novel with the end ripped out
The edge of a canyon with only one way down
Take what you're given before it's gone
And start holdin' on, keep holdin' on

'Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend till you break
'Cause it's all you can take
On your knees, you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, yeah, then you stand

Every time you get up
And get back in the race
One more small piece of you
Starts to fall into place

Cause when push comes to shove
You taste what you're made of
You might bend till you break
'Cause it's all you can take
On your knees, you look up
Decide you've had enough
You get mad, you get strong
Wipe your hands, shake it off
Then you stand, then you stand

Yeah, then you stand, yeah
Yeah, baby
Woo hoo, woo hoo, woo hoo, woo hoo
Then you stand, yeah, yeah

Read more: Rascal Flatts - Stand Lyrics | MetroLyrics

# data[].attributes.body
Trickle Down by Ani DiFranco

You cease to smell the steel plant
After you've lived there for a while
Smoke is snow is ash are leaves that blow
Through the air aloft
All our houses dim their sliding
To the same soot gray style
And we hang our laundry out on Sundays
When they turn the furnaces off

Everybody's daddy works up on the line
The Stienbrenners and the Wilczewskis
Have been there the longest time
And everybody's mommy squints into the sun
Sunday afternoon after all the laundry's done

And sometimes a distant siren
Can set a dog to barking late at night
Then it dominoes on down
Till every dog is joining in
The first rumors of the lay offs
Sang like a distant siren might
And we all perked up our ears
And paced the fence of the ensuing din

And every night, we were glued to the TV news
At six o'clock
'cause it was hard to tell what was real
And what was talk
They explained about the cutbacks
All the earnest frowns
What they didn't say was that the plant
Was slowly shutting down

This town is not the kind of place
That money people go
They make their jokes up on the TV
About all the snow
And they're building condos downriver
From where the plant had been
But nobody really lives here
Now that the air is clean

And the president assured us
It was all gonna trickle down
Like it'd be raining so much money
That we'd be sad to see the sun
Mr. Wilczewski's brother had some business
Out in Denver, so they left Denver
Everybody knows they were the lucky ones

You cease to smell the steel plant
After you've been here for a while

# data[].attributes.body
“Broken”

Lifehouse

The broken clock is a comfort
It lets me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow
From stealing all my time
I am here still waiting
I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best
Like you've already figured out

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on
Barely holding on to you

The broken locks were a warning
You got inside my head
Tried my best to be guarded
I'm an open book instead
I still see your reflection
Inside my eyes
That are looking for purpose
There still looking for life

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain (In the pain)
Is there healing
In your name (In your name)
I find meaning
So I'm holding on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on
(I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on (I'm still holdin')
I'm barely holding on to you

Hanging on another day
Just to see what you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on to the words you say
You said that I will, will be OK
Broken light on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
Haven't forgotten my way home

I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain (In the pain)
There is healing
In your name (In your name)
I find meaning
So I'm holding on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on
(I'm still holdin' on), I'm holdin' on
(I'm still holdin')
Barely holding on to you
I'm holding on (I'm still holdin'), I'm holdin' on
(I'm still holdin' on), I'm holdin' on
(I'm still holdin')
Barley holding on to you

# data[].attributes.body
There is a lot about Syria on National Public Radio. Millions of people have been displaced from their homes and thousands more live in war torn towns. The poverty and oppression is real and seems to have no end in sight. Poetry helps those living in this nightmare cope:

"When I am Overcome By Weakness"
Written by Najat Abdul Samad / Translated by Ghada Alatrash

When I am overcome with weakness, I bandage my heart with a woman’s patience in adversity. I bandage it with the upright posture of a Syrian woman who is not bent by bereavement, poverty, or displacement as she rises from the banquets of death and carries on shepherding life’s rituals. She prepares for a creeping, ravenous winter and gathers the heavy firewood branches, stick by stick from the frigid wilderness. She does not cut a tree, does not steal, does not surrender her soul to weariness, does not ask anyone’s charity, does not fold with the load, and does not yield midway.

I bandage my heart with the determination of that boy they hit with an electric stick on his only kidney until he urinated blood. Yet he returned and walked in the next demonstration.

I bandage it with the steadiness of a child’s steps in the snow of a refugee camp, a child wearing a small black shoe on one foot and a large blue sandal on the other, wandering off and singing to butterflies flying in the sunny skies, butterflies and skies seen only by his eyes.

I bandage it with December’s frozen tree roots, trees that have sworn to blossom in March or April.

I bandage it with the voice of reason that was not affected by a proximate desolation.

I bandage it with veins whose warm blood has not yet been spilled on the surface of our sacred soil.

I bandage it with what was entrusted by our martyrs, with the conscience of the living, and with the image of a beautiful homeland envisioned by the eyes of the poor.

I bandage it with the outcry: “Death and not humiliation.”

https://www.pri.org/stories/2013-10-12/take-peek-syria-through-poetry-spurred-its-war

# data[].attributes.body
I am sharing a poem that means a great deal to me because I really connected to it during the period in my life when my mom lost her job and my family had little control over our financial stability. I felt that this poem gave me a sense of dignity and control. I now have the title as a tattoo.

Invictus
William Earnest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance,
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears,
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years  Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.

# data[].attributes.body
Song: Imagine
Artist: John Lennon
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today... Aha-ah...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace... You...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world... You...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

# data[].attributes.body
Who Broke Africa?
by: Micah Bournes

Let me ask you something
Who broke Africa?
And how do we fix it?

Political unrest
Rebel militias
Stomachs swollen with emptiness water
Polluted with disease, HIV, Gender violence, the whole world is crying and we all wanna know
Who broke Africa?
And why is it that this one particular continent is taking so long to update, urbanize, enforce human rights, and figure out the right way to be human

If only she could be like us
You know
Free
Educated
Healthy
Prosperous
Consumeristic
Pornographic
Gluttonous and never gratified yet we look with eyes of pity upon her for being
Less fortunate

But what if she’s only less
Rich

Might African youth have greater joy with a beat up soccer ball than we do with flat screens laptops new shoes and a hundred shirts we never wear hanging in a closet full of things we thought would make us happy

But we remain
Insecure
Alone
Depressed

Now look
I’m not saying we’re no better off than Africa but
Maybe it’s presumptuous to assume we are

Life is hard in Africa
A struggle
But could the conflict be a sign of hope
Proving that she is full of those who refuse to let injustice reign uncontested
Africa is no damsel in distress and we are not her savior

Africa is a mother in labor ripe with pain and life
By the grace of God may we stand by her side as a midwife and friend
Offering aid and encouragement but knowing that we must empower her to push by her own strength
Walk by her own faith
And as we work with our sister in humble love maybe we will discover how to fix
What is broken
In us

For brokenness belongs to us all
But hope only to those who come together
Before God

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Micah Bournes - Who Broke Africa? (Live at The Justice Conference 2012)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Spoken word artist Micah Bournes performs his piece "Who Broke Africa" at the 2012 Justice Conference in Portland Oregon. Visit micahbournes.com and thejusticeconference.com

# data[].attributes.body
Poverty Sweeping Our World
by Palas Kumar Ray

Lot of hunger and having no food is poverty,
Not having spare cloth to take bath is poverty,
Needing a shelter but not having one is poverty,
Child's sick but can not buy treatment, is poverty,
Fainting child dreaming a mouthful of rice is poverty
Searching warmth in cold flesh in winter nights, is poverty,
Sitting with umbrella on wetting bed in showering night, is poverty,
Thoughtful mother, two mouthful of rice and three children, is poverty,
An ill, deserted mother selling her child wishing it will survive, is poverty.
A defeated and despondent mother poisoning and killing her child is poverty,

Kumar Ray, P.(2015). Poverty Sweeping Our World. Retrieved from https://poemsofpalaskumarrayshared.wordpress.com/category/poems-shared/poverty/

# data[].attributes.body
These  Times
Safety suit

[Verse 1]
These times will try hard to define me
And I'll try to hold my head up high
But I've seen despair here from the inside
It's got a one track mind
And I have this feeling in my gut now
And I don't know what it is I'll find
Does anybody ever feel like
You're always one step behind?

[Chorus 1]
Now I'm sitting alone here in my bed
I'm waiting for an answer I don't know that I'll get
I cannot stand to look in the mirror
I'm failing
I'm telling you these times are hard
But they will

[Verse 2]
And I know there's someone out there somewhere
Who has it much worse than I do
But I have a dream inside, a perfect life
I'd give anything just to work
It's like I'm only trynna dig my way out
Of all these thing I can't

# data[].attributes.body
Ghost of Tom Joad
Bruce Springsteen

Men walkin' 'long the railroad tracks
Goin' someplace there's no goin' back
Highway patrol choppers comin' up over the ridge

Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge
Shelter line stretchin' 'round the corner
Welcome to the new world order
Families sleepin' in their cars in the Southwest
No home no job no peace no rest

The highway is alive tonight
But nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes
I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light
Searchin' for the ghost of Tom Joad

He pulls a prayer book out of his sleeping bag
Preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag
Waitin' for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last
In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass
Got a one-way ticket to the promised land
You got a hole in your belly and gun in your hand
Sleeping on a pillow of solid rock
Bathin' in the city aqueduct

The highway is alive tonight
Where it's headed everybody knows
I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light
Waitin' on the ghost of Tom Joad

Now Tom said "Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries
Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air
Look for me Mom I'll be there
Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand
Or decent job or a helpin' hand
Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free
Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me."

Well the highway is alive tonight
But nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes
I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light
With the ghost of old Tom Joad

# data[].attributes.body
Sage Hasson is from Nigeria.  Unity and focus is the emphases of her poem.  She felt that individuals coming together can make a difference not only for themselves but also for others (Hasson, n.d).

"One"
~ Sage Hasson

“Billions of people all struggling to {fulfill} seeming different agenda

But we all are in pursuit of one collective destiny

We all need just one

One dream

One day

One hour

One minute

One second

One moment”

Hasson, S. (n.d). One. One. Retrieved from https://www.one.org/us/2016/03/21/celebrate-world-poetry-day-with-these-amazing-african-poems/

# data[].attributes.body
Child Soldiers, the African poem written by Chief Charles O. Okereke

Heavens cry, mothers bemoan;
Father and son trade hot metals;
Nations slug out, children at front;
Young minds dance the limbo.

Munition, wars, as toy games;
Battle field as play grounds;
Bullets blow the whistle;
Trenches shield blind shots.

Murder tutorials the course;
Predation, vandalism, an honor;
Grades in white stripes;
Nation wastes her rising suns.

# data[].attributes.body
It Takes Courage
Author: Unknown

It takes strength to be firm,
It takes courage to be gentle.

It takes strength to conquer,
It takes courage to surrender.

It takes strength to be certain,
It takes courage to have doubt.

It takes strength to fit in,
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain,
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to endure abuse,
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone,
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love,
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive,
It takes courage to live.

I think this poem is very inspirational and moving. It reminds us that a lot of things take strength and we need to do that on our own, but a lot of other things take courage and heart that aren't as easy for people to accept. This is a battle within itself.

# data[].attributes.body
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
~Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dream of
Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
And the dreams that you dream of
Dreams really do come true

Someday, I wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
And the dreams that you dare to
Oh why, oh why can't I?

Well, I see trees of green and red roses too
I'll watch them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Well, I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white
And the brightness of day
I like the dark
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
And also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shaking hands saying
How do you do?
They're really saying I, I love you

I hear babies cry and I watch them grow
They'll learn much more then we'll know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

Someday I wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top
That's where you'll find me

Oh, somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dare to
Why oh, why can't I?

Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh

This song really has a lot of meaning to me because the original version of this song was the song that my mom and dad had their first dance to at their wedding and it was just played at my wedding as well. So it is always a song that cheers me up.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
OFFICIAL - Somewhere Over the Rainbow 2011 - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole

# data[].attributes.body
The song “Casas De Cartón” by Marco Antonio Solís is about poverty in Mexico.  You can see this video on “Youtube”.  If you have ever had the opportunity to travel in Mexico (beyond the tourist areas) you can see the gap as we have been studying about between the rich and the Poor.

"Cardboard Houses"

How sad the rain is

On cardboard ceilings

How sad my people live

In the cardboard houses

The worker comes down

Almost dragging his steps

By the weight of the suffering

See it's a lot to suffer

Look what weighs suffering

Above leaves the pregnant woman

Below is the city.

And it gets lost in its tangle

Today is the same as yesterday

It's a world without tomorrow

How sad the rain is

On cardboard ceilings

How sad my people live

In the cardboard houses

Children the color of my land

With the same scars

Millionaire Worms and that is why

our children live sadly

In the cardboard houses

How sad the rain is

On cardboard ceilings

How sad my people live

In the cardboard houses

You will not believe it

But there are dog schools

And they give them education

To not bite the newspapers

But the boss for

Many years has

Been biting the worker

How sad the rain is

On cardboard ceilings

How far a hope passes

In the cardboard houses

# data[].attributes.body
"The Climb" by Miley Cyrus
I can almost see it.
That dream I'm dreaming,
But there's a voice inside my head saying,
"You'll never reach it."
Every step I'm takin'
Every move I make feels lost with no direction,
My faith is shakin'

But I, I gotta keep tryin'
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down,
But no, I'm not breaking
I may not know it,
But these are the moments
That I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep goin',

And I, I gotta be strong
Just keep pushing on,

'Cause...

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb

Yeah

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Keep on movin'
Keep climbin'
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about—it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa, whoa, oh.

# data[].attributes.body
Barry Manilow
"I Made It Through The Rain"

We dreamers have our ways
Of facing rainy days
And somehow we survive
We keep the feelings warm
Protect them from the storm
Until our time arrives
Then one day the sun appears
And we come shining through those lonely years

I made it through the rain
I kept my world protected
I made it through the rain
I kept my point of view
I made it through the rain

And found myself respected
By the others who
Got rained on too
And made it through
When friends are hard to find
And life seems so unkind
Sometimes you feel so afraid
Just aim beyond the clouds
And rise above the crowds
And start your own parade
'Cause when I chased my fears away
That's when I knew that I could finally say

I made it through the rain
I kept my world protected
I made it through the rain
I kept my point of view
I made it through the rain

And found myself respected
By the others who
Got rained on too
And made it through

I made it through the rain
I kept my world protected
I made it through the rain
I kept my point of view
I made it through the rain

And found myself respected
By the others who
Got rained on too
And made it through
And made it through
I made it through

# data[].attributes.body
Where is the love?
by The Black Eyed Peas

"What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma

Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK

But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah

Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach?
Or would you turn the other cheek?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love) [2x]
Where is the love, the love, the love

It just ain't the same, old ways have changed
New days are strange, is the world insane?
If love and peace are so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong?

Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone

So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover

The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach?
Or would you turn the other cheek?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)

Where is the love (The love)? [6x]
Where is the love, the love, the love?

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' the wrong direction

Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema

Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive 'til love is found
Now ask yourself

Where is the love? [4x]

Father, Father, Father, help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love?

Sing with me y'all:
One world, one world (We only got)
One world, one world (That's all we got)
One world, one world
And something's wrong with it (Yeah)
Something's wrong with it (Yeah)
Something's wrong with the wo-wo-world, yeah
We only got
(One world, one world)
That's all we got
(One world, one world)"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love? (Official Music Video)

# data[].attributes.body
African Child
Black is my color
I am an African Child
I live a life of fear as poverty is a close friend to us
I wake all day with tears hoping for a better tomorrow

I look around me and what I see is death, destruction and misery
Life seems not to favor us
Our prayers daily is just to get a smile
We don't need prayers from helpless soul
Your prayers can't bring food
Your prayers are not with actions
Government promises us food water and shelter
Yet we are still starving

I am an African child
I have a dream
Save me and let me be free
To live my life as you did
Give me hope and see what the future would tell for me
Don’t let me despair
Give me a helping hand and show me that you care

I am an African child
Give up your arms
Give up the fight
Don't discriminate me, forget my color
Never doubt my future
For when you are gone the problems will still be there
Affection and love is still needed in my heart
Save we the African children
And let us see that we no longer have to live in the world of misery

I am an African child
Hungry for food and hungry for love
Doves no longer come visiting us in Africa
As they know there is no love
We feed on the milk of a dying cow
We drink tears of our mother
We wear plant with strings
We breath in disease
We play in sorrow
We walk on the soil of death

I am an African child
I want a smile
I want to laugh out
Save me to save a future
I have a dream
An African dream
Full of joy, happiness and great laughter at the end for all African child

I am an African child
Don't trade my future for CFA
Don't trade my dream for slavery
Give me a smile like Temitayo Ogungbure had given other African child
Save my future with laughter
Save my African dream with love, food, water and shelter
Fight for my future
Eradicate poverty in my life
Make a path to success for me
Help me with a dove heart
And strengthen my dream

I am African child
I am going to be a great child to the world in the future
But save me to save the world

Adewale Ajakanri

# data[].attributes.body
Warrior by Demi Lovato

This is a story that I have never told
I gotta get this off my chest to let it go
I need to take back the light inside you stole
You're a criminal
And you steal like you're a pro

All the pain and the truth
I wear like a battle wound
So ashamed, so confused
I was broken and bruised

Now I'm a warrior
Now I've got thicker skin
I'm a warrior
I'm stronger than I've ever been
And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in
I'm a warrior
And you can never hurt me again

Out of the ashes, I'm burning like a fire
You can save your apologies, you're nothing but a liar
I've got shame, I've got scars
That I will never show
I'm a survivor
In more ways than you know

'Cause all the pain and the truth
I wear like a battle wound
So ashamed, so confused
I'm not broken or bruised

'Cause now I'm a warrior
Now I've got thicker skin
I'm a warrior
I'm stronger than I've ever been
And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in
I'm a warrior
And you can never hurt me

There's a part of me I can't get back
A little girl grew up too fast
All it took was once, I'll never be the same
Now I'm taking back my life today
Nothing left that you can say
'Cause you were never gonna take the blame anyway

Now I'm a warrior
I've got thicker skin
I'm a warrior
I'm stronger than I've ever been
And my armor, is made of steel, you can't get in
I'm a warrior
And you can never hurt me again

No oh yeah yeah

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
0:00 / 3:49•Watch full video

# data[].attributes.body
Always when we fight
I try to make you laugh
Until everything's forgotten
I know you hate that

Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba
Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba

Always when we fight
I kiss you once or twice
And everything's forgotten
I know you hate that

I love you Sunday sun
The week's not yet begun
And everything is quiet
And it's always

You and me, always, and forever
You and me, always, and forever

Ba ba ba ba ba

It was always
You and me always

You tell me I'm a real man
And try to look impressed
Not very convincing
But you know I love it

Then we watch TV
Until we fall asleep
Not every exciting
But it's you and me
And we'll always be together

You and me, always, and forever
You and me, always, and forever

Ba ba ba ba ba

It was always

You and me, always, and forever
You and me, always, and forever

Ba ba ba ba ba

It was always

You and me, always, and forever
You and me, always, and forever

# data[].attributes.body
This Fight is For You: Translation

I will do everything for you
If it will cause for us to reconcile
This is the only way I can think of
For your and my feelings... to be one

This fight is for you
This fight is for you... ohhh.
I will not give up... I will shout to the world
This fight is for you

Even if I put my line on the line for you
I will protect you with my fist
This is the only way I can think of
For my fellowmen to unite... the Filipino

This fight (is for you) is for you
This fight (is for you) is for you... ohhh.
I will not give up... I will shout to the world
This is for my homeland
In every fight in the world
God is always my ally... ohhh./

This fight (is for you) is for you
This fight (is for you) is for you... ohhh.
This fight (is for you) is for you
This fight (is for you) is for you... ohhh.
I will not give up... I will shout to the world
Filipino is my race
I love my homeland
This fight (is for you) is for you
For you... for my country...

Manny Pacquiao

# data[].attributes.body
Sound of Silence
by Disturbed originally written by Simon and Garfunkel

Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp

When my eyes were stabbed
By the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening

People writing songs
That voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools," said I, "you do not know
Silence, like a cancer, grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you."
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon God they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
And the words that it was forming

And the sign said,
"The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls."
And whispered in the sound of silence

# data[].attributes.body
If I Was A Parent Living In Poverty

By Patrick Farley IV

I am not a parent. My respect goes out to you, especially those who struggle hard to provide for their children. This poem is dedicated to you.

We rise from the lowest places,
create homes in the most homely spaces.
Divide food in shortage cases,
but we ensure each person here
thrives and will make it.
Some call it dysfunction
but I call it home.
We give them all that we earn,
because they are our own.
Rumors surface; we're poor,
how can we provide?
If we had to give them our own meals
we'd do it to survive.
They will never starve,
never suffer,
never be un-loved.
We will be their safety net
if they fall,
a soft catching glove.
Always put them first.
That's the staple of our core,
keep their little heads fed
and happy,
and we ask for no more.

# data[].attributes.body
One of the songs that inspires me is this song by Bon Jovi.  It reminds me that we can fight for what we want and need and that we should not back down because we only have one life.

"It's My Life" by Bon Jovi

This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud

[Chorus:]
It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life

This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky
Got to make your own breaks

[Chorus:]
It's my life
And it's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life

Better stand tall when they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down

[Chorus:]
It's my life
And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive

[Chorus:]
It's my life
And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life!

# data[].attributes.body
I have translated lyrics into English as the song it is in Spanish. It is a song by Los Tigres del Norte "We are Americans". This song it is inspired by me and many Mexicans, Latinos or Hispanics that immigrate to the US and go through the adversity day by day.

They have shouted at me a thousand times I should go back to my country because there’s no room for me here. I want to remind the gringos: I didn’t cross the border, the border crossed to me

America was born free, but men divided it, they marked a line so that I jump it, and they can call me “invader” and that’s a very frequent mistake. They took from us eight states. Who’s then the invader?

I’m a foreigner in my own land and I didn’t come here because you trouble, I’m a hard-working man

And if history isn’t lying, the powerful nation settled here, in the glory among brave warriors,

Indians of two continents mixed with Spaniards and if we take centuries into account. We are more American, we are more American than the children of the Anglo-Saxons

They got from us without money the waters of the Río Grande and they took from us Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado also California and Nevada were taken away Utah was not enough, so they took Wyoming as well. I’m the blood of the Indian, I’m Latin American, I’m mestizo we are made of all colors and of all trades and if we take into account centuries even if it hurts our neighbors. We are more American than all of the gringos.

# data[].attributes.body
"Invictus" by W.E. Henley

Out of the night that covers me
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced or cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.

# data[].attributes.body
A song that I have always found to be inspirational is Same Love by Macklemore. The root of the song is about excepting people for who they are, like those who are gay or lesbian. However, some of the lyrics go much deeper than that. He talks about how as people we all need to come together and stop putting so much hate towards people who are different than us, and for those that are different to not be afraid to be themselves. Growing up i have always been somewhat afraid of what others thought of me, but as ive gotten older i have realized that i do not need to please other people and make everyone like me, As long as i am respected that is all i care about now.

# data[].attributes.body
For Every Hill I've Had to Climb

For every hill I've had to climb,
For every stone that bruised my feet,
For all the blood and sweat and grime,
For blinding storms and burning heat
My heart sings but a grateful song—
These were the things that made me strong!

For all the heartaches and the tears,
For all the anguish and the pain,
For gloomy days and fruitless years,
And for the hopes that lived in vain,
I do give thanks, for now I know
These were the things that helped me grow!

'Tis not the softer things of life
Which stimulate man's will to strive;
But bleak adversity and strife
Do most to keep man's will alive.
O'er rose-strewn paths the weaklings creep,
But brave hearts dare to climb the steep.

L. E. Thayer

# data[].attributes.body
The Script " Hall of Fame"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Script - Hall of Fame (Official Video) ft. will.i.am

# data[].attributes.body
A Poem for the Super-Souper

My power is my powerlessness—
being left alone with nothing
but paper and pen,
my heart so full of need
it hurts to exist.

Everything I see is bread.
Every phrase I hear is blood.
My breaths are rhythm;
my mind is lungs.

Or words are rich in nothingness:
sugar whipped to cream,
bitter hid in stimulus that carries like caffeine
or carries on but drops the tone
like heavy hands un-held,
or carries off till all is lost to ferry-float in hell.

My power is my poverty.
My hunger knows a feast.
My greatness is my tenderness
for given-ness and need.

# data[].attributes.body
Cheer Up
by J Cole
[Chorus]
Even through the joy I feel the pain
Even in the sun I feel the rain
Even when I'm high I feel the lows
Like that's all I know
And lord knows I can't complain
But even when I do it feels the same
I'm getting high just to fight the lows
Cause that's all I know
It's all I know
It's all I know
It's all I know
It's all I
Ay cheer up
And lil mama cheer up
You got your whole life to live
Ay why you wanna tear up
Don't let them little boys... when they try to push up
Hey, hey

[Verse 2]
Yeah, I wake up in the morning and I ask myself
Is life worth living should I blast myself
Don't even wanna get out the bed
I got the glock to my head feel I'd rather be dead
And am I hopeless, raised with rats and roaches
Never liked the teachers, couldn't stand my coaches
Ask what's the matter but you can't relate
Living a life that you hate but you can't escape
Feel like I'm stuck here
That's why I don't give a f*ck here
There's no luck here, nobody to trust here
My own mother yeah I love her but things I heard as a child under my covers
Left me with scars it was hard to see her suffer
Ducking my heart and I don't know if I'll recover
I'm going under and as I'm headed out the front door
She say she proud of me and I wonder what for
And once more

[Chorus]
Even through the joy I feel the pain
Even in the sun I feel the rain
Even when I'm high I feel the lows
Like that's all I know
And lord knows I can't complain
But even when I do it feels the same
I'm getting high just to fight the lows
Cause that's all I know
It's all I know
It's all I know
It's all I know
It's all I
Ay cheer up
And lil mama cheer up
You got your whole life to live
Ay why you wanna tear up
Don't let them little boys... when they try to push up
Hey, hey...

# data[].attributes.body
Forgotten Soul

I turn my head, and there she is once more
In her disheveled, worn and tattered dress,
One pew behind me near the exit door
She sits head bowed…an image of distress.

Two weeks now on a Sunday she is there…
The same pew in the church, the same old clothes.
She shows forlornness that makes me aware
Her life is sadly filled with countless woes.

This time, she lifts her head and looks at me,
As tears swell in her eyes and down her cheek.
My heart is broken by the hurt I see
Within her wanting eyes so dark and meek.

I gaze into her face and see her fears
Yet slightest twinkle in her sullen eyes…
With tiny smile, she wipes her falling tears
Away, but still I hear the painful cries

That echo from her heart so silently
Of weakened body, anguished mind and soul…
I wonder what in life could possibly
Have caused her to now suffer such a toll.

And I surmise that homeless she must be,
But still some faith has brought her to this spot
Where healing strength from God might possibly
Renew her spirit when her life cannot.

The mass soon ends, and I arise and turn,
So now in front of her, I sadly stand…
She grasps my hand and says, “God Bless, you earn
His blessings for a heart that understands."

# data[].attributes.body
Fly
By Maddie and Tae

Baby blue staring in the window pane
Just counting drops of rain
Wondering if she's got the guts to take it
Running down her dreams in a dirty dress,
Now her heart's a mess
Praying she'll find a way to make it

So keep on climbing, though the ground might shake
Just keep on reaching though the limb might break
We've come this far, don't you be scared now
'Cause you can learn to fly on the way down

Searching for a sign in the night even like a lonely string of lights
That'll burn just long enough for you to see it
The road's been long and lonely and you feel like giving up
There's more to this than just the breath you're breathing

So keep on climbing, though the ground might shake
Just keep on reaching though the limb might break
We've come this far, don't you be scared now
'Cause you can learn to fly on the way down

On the way down

You won't forget the heavy steps it took to let it go
Close your eyes, count to ten, hold your breath and fly

Keep on climbing, though the ground might shake
Just keep on reaching though the limb might break
We've come this far, don't you be scared now
'Cause you can learn to fly on the way down

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh
Fly
Fly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDr_7LN-Ew

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x8jO8gbuHg

Poverty, poem by Fred Taban

# data[].attributes.body
"Invictus" - Poem by William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

-William Ernest Henley (1849-1903)

I have this poem in a frame on my wall. When I was diagnosed four years ago with what the doctors said was terminal cancer, it really helped give me the courage to change the things I needed to change, in order to survive. I have been in remission for four years now. This work continues to give me courage to do hard things.

# data[].attributes.body
Poverty
by Marinela Reka

Their smiles: sincere like angles
Their hearts: scarred forever more
Was this their fate, or our greed?
A question asked, but we ignore
Born into tragedy, they can’t escape
No opportunities for them to try
Suffering, hurting more everyday
But we sit back and let it go by
Shattered homes; desperate for shelter
Poor conditions, its help they need
They want to be healthy and joyful
They want a better life to lead
Time is a fragile element for them
It can smash completely unplanned
You can help them, we all can!
Their future lies in your hand

# data[].attributes.body
"Blackbird"

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free

Blackbird fly
Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night

Blackbird fly
Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

# data[].attributes.body
"Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere
Any place is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
Me myself I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
Won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

See my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
His body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school and that's what I did

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so we can fly away?
We gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

So remember when we were driving driving in your car
Speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
We go cruising, entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs

So remember when we were driving driving in your car
Speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me find it
I got no plans I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

So remember when we were driving driving in your car
Speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
Is it fast enough so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

I know a lot of people hear this song and think of the sad life this person has led, but I look at it different. Each verse, the narrator is progressing further and further into life and things do seem to be improving for them. Finally at the end, when they realize the one thing holding them back is the person they "loved" they realize that it is now time to make the same improvements.

# data[].attributes.body
The curse of poverty

Poverty
Poverty is a curse for human society
Poverty prevails there where the injustice is
Poverty exclaims there where the illiteracy is
Poverty is purely man made
So it has to be eradicated from its root
The society afflicted with poverty
Is reprehension of entire human society
Corruption is the source of poverty
Only a fearless society can be said
Free from all poverty
Where the people are dumb and discounted
Poverty exists there
Poverty shows, how many immature person
Rule the country
Poverty is the reason for all philosophical end.

ramesh rai

This poem by Rameshi Rai shows you how blind our world is to the poverty and how it is not the fault of those in poverty but the blame is to those who are only seeking personal gain.

# data[].attributes.body
"Another day In paradise"

She calls out to the man on the street
'Sir, can you help me?
It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep,
Is there somewhere you can tell me?'

He walks on, doesn't look back
He pretends he can't hear her
Starts to whistle as he crosses the street
Seems embarrassed to be there

Oh think twice, it's another day for you and me in paradise
Oh think twice, 'cause it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise, think about it

She calls out to the man on the street
He can see she's been crying
She's got blisters on the soles of her feet
She can't walk but she's trying

Oh think twice, 'cause it's another day for you and me in paradise
Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise, think about it

Oh Lord, is there nothing more anybody can do
Oh Lord, there must be something you can say

You can tell from the lines on her face
You can see that she's been there
Probably been moved on from every place
Cause she didn't fit in there

Oh think twice, 'cause another day for you and me in paradise
Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise, just think about it, think about it

It's just another day for you and me in paradise
It's just another day for you and me in paradise, paradise
It's just another day for you and me in paradise
It's just another day for you and me in paradise, paradise
It's just another day for you and me
It's just another day for you and me
It's just another day for you and me in paradise
In paradise

Phil Collins

# data[].attributes.body
Life Is….
by Mother Teresa

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

# data[].attributes.body
"Rise Above It"

In silence an eagle soars,
as vapours carry him higher,
through overcast horizons.
It is not afraid of its scorn,
as the storm's temperament
only gives him more power.
With fear, comes courage,
in adversity, evolution of character.
An eaglet becomes an eagle,
only when it has learnt to handle a storm.

In the realms of pain,
when each heartbeat
bleeds speechless tears,
when words are suffocated,
submerging you into uncharted waters;
LISTEN - for every ache and agony
is the provenance of wisdom.
With suffering, empathy is born.

Turbulence in life is like a dandelion:
once dried petals have fallen,
it flourishes into a full sphere.

 by Becca Teagan

# data[].attributes.body
"Fight Song"
Rachel Platten

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep
Everybody's worried about me
In too deep
Say I'm in too deep (in too deep)
And it's been two years
I miss my home
But there's a fire burning in my bones
Still believe
Yeah, I still believe

And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

A lot of fight left in me

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

This is my fight song (Hey!)
Take back my life song (Hey!)
Prove I'm alright song (Hey!)
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong (I'll be strong)
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

No I've still got a lot of fight left in me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8qDOGLCSFo

# data[].attributes.body
The Rose That Grew From Concrete

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving natures law is wrong it
learned to walk without having feet.

Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.

Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.

-Tupac Shakur