How long must we bear the weight of silence?
Voices raised in harmony, yet met with fists and flames.
They say our anger must be tempered,
Our cries for justice delivered without trembling hands,
While their history is written in blood, fire, and chains.

They lynched us beneath the stars we prayed to.
Hung our dreams from branches that swayed in the night.
Stole our wealth, our worth, and called it progress,
While we marched with songs instead of swords.

What is this double-edged world?
Where their rage is power,
And ours is animalistic—
Caged, dissected, policed.

Still, we rise with hearts heavy but unbroken.
For we know:
Their strength lies in fear,
And ours lies in love and resilience.

But I ask you now,
Why must the oppressed always be the teachers?
Why must we guide the blind with bruised hands?
When will the oppressors learn
That justice demands more than our restraint?

So here we stand, defiant in our truths.
Voices that will never be silenced again.
For every tree they turned into a gallows,
We plant seeds that grow into forests of freedom.

Our hands, though scarred, will build a future
Where our children fight with neither fists nor voices—
But simply exist,
Unquestioned,
Unbroken,
And free.

I went for a walk today,
finally stepping into the world,
after she threw our love away.
I lost who I was,
enchanted by her stare,
mesmerized by her care.
Heavy with a heart burdened deep,
all I ever wanted was a new start.

I said, "Whatever I do,
I’ll push through,
seeing life through her eyes,
hoping I’d break through,
activating all my dreams—
finally to stand tall and say,
'Hey, look, look at what you gave away.'"

But as I walked,
I went to visit my grandfather's grave,
and realized I’d been healing
the wrong way.
She was a reason,
yes, I fell in love,
but only for three years,
and in those years,
I gave myself away.

But my grandfather—
he and my parents,
they are the ones who planted me here.
They are the ones who gave me roots,
the soil that holds me steady.
I am here because of their love,
their sacrifices, and their care.

Now, I am going to live all my dreams—
to honor them,
to push forward with pride,
to give them the cheer they deserve,
and to stand tall in their light.

With a spirit of pride and strength,
I give myself a cheer.
I will make it.
And in doing so,
I give credit to them,
for I am here
because of their love.

I will rise,
stronger than I was before,
with each step forward,
reminded of the legacy they gave,
and in their honor,
I will chase my dreams,
and let nothing stand in my way.

In every corner where shadows fall,
Across vast lands where memories call,
People were taken, held in place,
In every corner, every race.

Not just one, nor just one shore,
But everywhere, a hidden war,
Spanning ages, fields, and tides,
Human worth and dreams denied.

From Africa’s shores to Asia’s plains,
To islands bound by unseen reins,
From Europe’s cold to deserts wide,
Countless souls robbed of their pride.

They called it power, named it might,
But it was nothing but darkened light—
A brutal weight, a cruel disguise,
Of fear dressed up in human lies.

They broke apart mothers, fathers, kin,
Tried to claim the soul within,
But roots grow deep, and hearts will rise,
Even through the darkest skies.

Today we honor each whispered name,
Every struggle, each hidden flame.
For holds have broken, barriers torn,
And in their place, new strength is born.

To those who bore the weight untold,
Who carried pain, whose courage bold
Paved the way for lives made whole,
They teach us of the human soul.

Let us be teachers, let us be wise,
Help those who turn away realize
That true power’s found not in the hand,
But in the dignity of every land.

Every face, every color, every creed,
Born to rise, to laugh, to lead.
And may the past keep us awake,
So never again shall freedom break.

No race, no person should bow in fear,
We rise together, our vision clear—
A world with room for every voice,
In freedom’s song, we find our choice.

I am a quitter, yes, I’ll say it loud—
I quit being lost in your shadowed crowd.
I quit being your fool, your pawn, your game,
I quit letting you burn me in silent shame.

I quit the tears, the endless nights,
I quit the weight of losing fights.
I quit seeing your narcissist way
While losing myself day by day.

I quit loving the lies you sold,
The promises wrapped in hearts grown cold.
I quit, I quit—you've had your say,
But I choose myself in every way.

Your smile once captured, your charm once chained,
Your touch a spell that I entertained.
But no longer, no more, I break that hold,
My heart unbound, my spirit bold.

So here’s to the quitters who rise and heal,
Who reclaim their souls and learn to feel.
We quit the pain, we quit the ache,
We quit the love that only takes.

In quitting you, I find my start—
A newfound power, a whole new heart.
For I am not yours to use or break—
I am the fire you could never take.

So to all who’ve known this twisted love,
Who’ve felt the pull but rise above—
We quit, we soar, we set things right,
With heads held high, we walk toward light.

I once felt like an utensil in your hand,
A tool for your glory, your selfish demand.
You spoke of love, but I felt the strain,
Like I was nothing more than a means to your gain.

At fifty-two, you said I was your first,
A love so deep, you claimed, a thirst.
But your words were empty, and your heart was cold,
Leaving me to wonder what you’d truly sold.

You used my kindness, my love, my soul,
A narcissist's game, I played the role.
But you, wrapped in your fragile pride,
Never saw the damage you left behind.

I'm not here to hate, not here to blame,
But your illness doesn’t give you the right to play the game.
Love should be mutual, not one-sided and torn,
Not leaving a heart bruised and worn.

But now, I stand, not broken, but whole,
Rising from the ashes, reclaiming my soul.
I gave my all, but now I see,
It’s time to let go, and set myself free.

Hope isn’t lost, it’s found in the fight,
In knowing my worth, in finding my light.
I am not a tool, I am not a pawn,
I am the storm, the calm, the dawn.

To those like me, who’ve been torn apart,
You are not less for giving your heart.
It’s time to heal, it’s time to grow,
To leave behind what we no longer know.

Grace will come, like a gentle stream,
As you rise from the ashes of broken dreams.
You are worthy of love, of joy, of peace,
A love that’s real, where hurt can cease.

So hold your head high, and walk with grace,
You are more than enough in this vast, wide space.
No longer a piece of someone else’s game,
You are whole, and you'll rise again.

Everything in this world is here,
Not by choice, but by the will to be—
Mountains rise, rivers flow,
Stars ignite and dreams grow.
The earth spins with silent grace,
Every being holds its place.

No law is needed to breathe the air,
No judgment to show we care.
We don’t have to prove we belong—
Our hearts sing, a sacred song.
The sun doesn’t ask for a reason to shine,
And we, like it, are part of the divine.

The trees don’t wait for permission to bloom,
Flowers don’t fear the changing room.
Why must we, in our humble skin,
Think we must justify within?
For every soul deserves a chance,
To exist, to live, to dance.

In the quiet of the sky’s embrace,
We find that judgment has no place.
Each life is precious, pure, and true,
A right to be, not to prove.
Let laws fall soft like autumn leaves,
As we trust the world’s own gentle grieve.

For in the end, we’re all the same—
Dust and stars, no need for shame.
Everything in this world is free,
Just as we were meant to be.

Each morning breaks with the sun’s cruel light,
I rise to a world that feels heavy and bright.
I hope for the night, for sweet, endless sleep,
To close my eyes tight, to bury my grief deep.

The day stretches on, like a long, empty road,
With thoughts of her lingering, a burdensome load.
I wear a brave face, but inside I just ache,
Counting the hours until the night I can take.

As twilight descends, I find solace in dreams,
In shadows of memories, where nothing is as it seems.
I drift into slumber, her laughter in my mind,
In the realm of the night, I leave all pain behind.

But dawn breaks again, with its unforgiving glare,
And I wake to the silence, the weight of despair.
Each morning I hope for the night to return,
To escape from my heart, to unlearn and to yearn.

I wish for the hours to fade into dark,
To find peace in the stillness, to reignite a spark.
So I dance with the shadows, through this endless charade,
Hoping for sleep, in this cycle I wade.

As the world turns, we find our way here,
With love to give, and wounds held near.
So many smiles, yet sorrow’s sound,
As hate’s own gravity keeps some bound.

I dream of love that breaks and grows,
That lifts like dawn, where sunlight flows.
Why can’t we see we’re meant to be
A world that lives in harmony?

From the same roots, our lives entwine,
Branches born of an ancient line.
A bond that holds through future and past,
In time’s own cycle, made to last.

So love, not hate; let joy erase frowns.
Lift each other up, for what goes, comes around.

She Didn't Deserve Me

I gave her love, a heart so pure,
But she turned it cold, made me unsure.
Her words cut deep, her actions wrong,
Still, I loved her, held on too long.

She never saw the truth in me,
The depth of soul, the heart set free.
I gave her all I had to give,
But in her world, I couldn’t live.

I held her close, though she pushed away,
I fought for us, night and day.
But now I see, with eyes unblurred,
She didn't deserve the love I offered her.

I’m learning now to stand on my own,
To heal the wounds, to reclaim my throne.
The love I gave, it wasn’t lost,
But I’m worth more than what it cost.

I’ll let her go, as painful as it seems,
And build myself from shattered dreams.
She didn’t deserve me, and that’s the truth—
Now I’ll find strength in my own youth.