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I come from a strong black woman

I come from a strong black man

I come from a strong family surviving the obstacles set against them

I come from San Francisco

Born and raised

I come from Louisiana

I come from black woman that are the most unprotected in this country

I come from a strong community

I come from low income

I come from survival

I come from the Bay Area

Everything I come from has shaped me into who I am today

Most will say they would never think I come from what I come from by the way I carry myself

Should I be proud about that compliment

Or should I be ashamed ?

All I know is that I am who I am because of where I come from and for that I am proud of who I am

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I like you

I do

You make me smile

like watching the sunsets

like a hot summer night in July

a stary clear night sky

my heart beats fast for you

I laugh through my mouth loud

loud as a hyena

my heart beats fast as a cheetah

I express my love through many ways

poetry is a way

it opens up feelings that are hidden deep within

within my soul

deep like the ocean

the sunset sets away as we hide those feelings

deep within

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I release you

heartbreak

brokenness

sadness

weakness

powerless

the lover I thought I would grow old with

how could you?

we named our children

planned our future

Just to throw it all away

I release you my so called soul mate

I release you

You were my lover

I release you with the heartbreak

I endured

You are someone I don’t know anyone

I give you back to the streets

I give you back to the strangers we would be now

I release you, because you are not what I want anymore

I release you I release you I release you

I am not afraid to be alone

I am not afraid to know my worth

I am not afraid to not speak to you ever again

I am not afraid to find new love

Oh the darkness I faced when I was with you

The pain I went through as my heart broke

I take myself back

I know my strength

I am better now because you are out of my life

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Injustice

Injustice is what we face everyday

It's unfair for us

to be treated differently, looked at certain ways, projected in media falsely

why?

My ancestors helped built this country

Why aren't their any reparations yet?

Instead we are constantly being killed by cops left and right

Another brown face on the news

Another police shooting

Injustice is what they serve us

Constantly let down

Carried trauma from my ancestors

we are tired

tired of the mistreatment

tired of the racism

tired of the judgement

tired of being stereotyped

When we protest its an issue

When we show how powerful our voices can be

its an issue

We are no longer being quite

enough is enough

we have fought for many years

and will not stop fighting until

Justice is Served

Justice is Equal

Justice is Freedom

Justice is at Peace

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I am a woman to be, there will be changes in me

I am a woman to be and everyone will see

I am stronger and Im older, Im braver and bolder

I am a woman up be and everyone will see

I have good days and bad days, I have happy days and sad days

I am a woman to be and everyone will see

I will love, I will hate, I will never mess with fate

I am a woman to be and everyone will see

I am a woman now, So i will take a bow

For i am a woman to me and everyone will see

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I believe everyone should experience the beauty of poetry. What inspired me to write was not only the the poems that were shared in class but my own experiences. I took poems that were passed out during class and thought about my own life and how I can create pieces around the poems that were shared with me. I am most proud of myself for striving and having the momentum to keep going. I had a scary family emergency pop up and thought my life was over, I just knew I was going to grieve this for long but thank God things turned better and with this issue it pushed me to really appreciate life and the people in my life more. A lifetime is not that long and time goes by fast. My next step would to be able to use poetry as a daily journaling concept for me and to introduce it to my peers as a form of healing and art.