IT’S FUNNY WHEN YOU LOOK BACK
AND SEE ALL OF THE HARD THINGS THAT
YOU’VE COME THROUGH.
I’VE ALMOST KILLED MYSELF TWICE,
BUT THEN I REALIZED HOW NICE
IT IS TO LIVE.
MY LIFE IS STILL A STRUGGLE, DAY BY DAY
BUT WHEN I START TO FEEL DOWN, I SAY,
LIFE IS WORTH IT.
WHEN I WAS LITTLE MY STEP-DAD ABUSED ME,
BUT AS I GOT OLDER, I STARTED TO REALIZE THAT HE
COULD’NT USE ME ANYMORE.
BECAUSE ONE DAY I HIT HIM BACK AND
HE REALIZED HE COULD NEVER LAY A HAND
ON ME AGAIN.
SO NOW THEY PUT ME IN FOSTER CARE,
AND I REALIZED HOW LITTLE THE STATE REALLY CARES
ABOUT THEIR KIDS.
THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN MY LIFE IS TAMI
BECAUSE SHE HELPED ME LEARN THAT LIFE WON’T HAND ME
EVERYTHING; I HAVE TO WORK FOR IT.
MY FOSTER PARENTS ARE REALLY NICE AND ALL
BUT IT’S NOT THE SAME WHEN YOU CAN’T CALL
THEM MOM AND DAD.
I THINK I’VE COME THROUGH THIS
BETTER THAN IF I WOULD HAVE MISSED
THESE OBSTACLES OF MY LIFE.
MY FUTURE IS LOOKING PRETTY GOOD.
ESPECIALLY SINCE I GREW UP “IN DA HOOD”
FOR I NOW LIVE IN A WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SOON I’M GOING INTO THE MILITARY
ALTHOUGH I THINK IT’LL BE PRETTY SCARY
TO FIRE A GUN.
I HAVE A LOT OF HATE STILL
AGAINST MY STEP-DAD, AND I ALWAYS WILL
WANT TO SEE HIM HURT.
DON’T YOU HATE IT WHEN YOU CAN’T CONTROL
YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU HAVE A GOAL
TO KEEP?
I USED TO THINK I HAD
IT ALL, UNTIL IT WENT BAD
AND, NOW I’M HERE.
CAN YOU SEE THE PAIN THAT I’M IN,
KNOWING I WILL NEVER WIN
THIS WAR OF LIFE?
IF YOU ASK ME IF I BELIEVE IN GOD
I WOULD TELL YOU PROBABLY NOT
BECAUSE HE LET ALL THIS HAPPEN.
MY TRUE EMOTIONS START TO SHOW,
WHEN I HAVE GOT NOWHERE ELSE TO GO
BUT DOWN.
IS THERE REALLY ANY HOPE,
SHOULD I TURN TO DOPE
LIKE MY MOM?
NAW, I DON’T WANT TO BE LIKE HER,
AND BE BURIED IN THE HURT
AND SHAME.
I THINK I’LL GIVE UP ON LIFE
BECAUSE I CAN’T STAND THE STRIFE
OF IT ALL.
CAN YOU SEE THE PAIN BEHIND MY EYES?
IT’S BECAUSE OF ALL THE SHAME AND LIES
THAT I HAVE.