In a home where mother has stress,
Trying and hoping for the best.
Kids are too young;
Oblivious to the world,
While mine spins and twirls,
Closing in on me.
Caged like a wild animal,
Reserved and never to be freed.
On hands and knees,
Pleading for strength and mercy,
But every bit I get,
I give to one who doesn’t deserve it.
Gasping and struggling,
Clawing and wanting;
In need of air to breathe.
The need to succeed,
To finally find me
And who I am to be.

My lungs fill to the brim,
With air? No, life is too grim.
It smirks in the shadows
As if its pleasure is to taunt and tease me.
Little does it know,
Death is right behind thee.
Fighting for air,
But there’s no room for me.
The meaning of share
Does not appeal to thee.

Begging on my knees?
No, you’ve got it wrong,
That could never be me.
Fury and hatred all come equipped with stress.
All that, but deep down I know I’m blessed.
All I ask is what is my purpose
In life, in love…
For all of the above.
What do you see in me?
People observe and they think they see.
They show their gratitude,
But I don’t want or need sympathy.
I’m a strong soldier
And I will survive,
Even if there is no one by my side.
I live to be me
And freedom is what I thrive.
My freedom and independence
So, I can do great things,
And leave in remembrance.
Gasping and struggling,
Clawing and wanting;
In need of air to breathe.
The need to succeed,
To finally find me
And who I am to be.

My life–its easy.
I just take it for a journey
In my new cars
And brand new clothes—
All brand new.
Now ya’ll know that ain’t the truth.
My life–a nightmare,
Fighting for air.
Just down the block,
Young girls think they’re hot,
Selling their bodies,
Doing all kinds of ‘naughtys’.
Juvenile street boys selling that dope.
I ask you, ‘why you buying it?’
You know that’s future’s hope.
Gunshots I hear,
I step outside, look from here to there,
Another one of the homies—dead.
Some tears I shed,
Then, pay my last respects.
Another year, another death.
More years to come,
More deaths and lost love.
Now the question is:
Who’s to blame for all this mess?
Satin stand up, take a bow.
You’ve done your best.
But you’ll never catch me,
I’ll outrun your tests!
There’s no way I’m going to turn myself into distress.
All this madness…
Sometimes I feel the need to escape,
But to where?
You can run they say, but you can’t hide.
And ain’t that the truth.
Only if you’re oblivious to life.
Gasping and struggling,
Clawing and wanting;
In need of air to breathe.
The need to succeed,
To finally find me
And who I am to be.
Fighting for air,
But there’s no room for me.
The meaning of share
Does not appeal to thee.
Gasping and struggling;
My life—a nightmare
Clawing and wanting;
My fight for air.