I swear
I will never be
What was estimated of me
I will go beyond expectation
Achieve all of my dreams

I swear
I will move on
Leaving the past behind
The violence, the annoyance, the wasted time
I vow to be successful
Never just get by

I swear
I will leave behind me the days
Of paycheck to paycheck living
The struggle to get bills paid

I swear
Bettering myself is the only way
To avoid the lifestyle
In which I was raised

I swear
I will not hold resentment
Or bear hate
Simply say thanks the battles
That gave me strength

I will not regret my past
Just strive for better things
And take into account the people
That showed me who not to be

Homework turned in on time
Straight A's is what I strive for
Seen as a nerd by most
I see myself as someone who simply wants more

Oh, so I don't have a life?
Because of my grades?
Excuse me for knowing
When to work and when to play

You call me lame, a geek
Ever consider I'm trying to escape poverty?
Saying I was "born smart"
As an excuse
For why I'm doing better than you

No, I don't go home and read
Every minute, every day
Or go straight home and study
Or watch documentaries

Yes, I believe education
Is my purpose
For coming to school everyday
Honestly if I didn't learn anything
It wouldn't be worth it

I have a life that branches
Far away from this school
Don't call me a "nerd"
Because I want a future more than you

Im from oak trees
Reaching limbs that shade
The sizzling concrete
Tailgating before a game

Im from Sunday breakfast
Family gathered round
Loud music & conversation
Filling the house with sound

I'm from a sprinkler
Placed in the backyard
In the summer time
The cheapest way to cool off

I'm from biting tongues
Southern by a grace
Taught feelings are better bottled up
In attempt to save a little face

I'm from photographs, artifacts and names used
In vain to help my grandmothers memory pull through

I'm from the place
Where music is constantly played
At every occasion, no matter the time of day

I'm from a culture, deeply rooted
Through mardi gras, beignets, and family reunions
Where English occasionally gives way to French
Like a tree. I branch
In every direction
I am from home

I really don't know
Where I should go

I believe in a few things
Never know what life will bring

I'm too tired to think
My eyes slowly blink

Time seems to stand still
Not even sure what is real

Looking for something I can't seem to find
Discovering myself, losing my mind

My footsteps disappear the further I walk
My voice drowns out the more I talk

Lost in myself, there's no one around
Just the Earth and I, tightly bound

When the seas cry to the sky
To say they've been fouled by blood,
It has been said that the rain will reverse to take it away.

Where it rains,
I have been there.

I have seen the black's glare
I have learned not to care.

When the ice breaks
And the darkness falls in,
It has been said that the ice will seal it in the unholy depths.

Trapped under the ice,
I have been there.

I have seen the black's glare.
I have learned not to care.

But I brought a cover from the storm,
A pick for the ice.

Because I am not there.
But I have been there.
And the black calls me back,
It glares,
It's stare spites.

So I must find a flame.
To meet the black's sight.

I have been here,
There,
Then,
And now.
And I plan to leave.

You scared me, Augustus, you really did;
I hate the feeling of smoke in my lungs, and yet
I found myself wishing I was cancer-free
So I could stand with you as you pulled out a cigarette.

But you just held it there between your lips;
It was the epitome of a metaphor,
And I stood there in utter disbelief,
Wanting more and more and more.

And the more I got, the more I loved -
Even your horrid driving (I’d drive with you
Until the end of time, Augustus, it wasn’t your
Time, Augustus, I’ll say it again, “I do.”).

These tears are a side effect of love,
And the fault was in our stars, but someday
We will unite again, Augustus, because our
Love is immeasurable and immortal, okay?