I'll never forget this day
This day of pain
The pain of her ever going away

Just waking up
Feeling something was wrong
Ringing her phone
Not getting an answer
I couldn't hear her voice anymore

So I called
I called and I called
That feeling of being on the edge increasing
Until it stopped

I had no choice to call another
To only hear she was in the hospital
It all came crashing down
I remember waiting for her at home for hours

I hated this feeling
I hated feeling this pain
I hated feeling like the world was on my shoulder

Maybe I'll call this my Redemption
Maybe I'll call it apart of this song
Maybe I'll call it the day it all came crashing down

She shouted at me,
She was stern
But right now
I wish she could be doing the same

I wanted to make my mama happy
I wanted her to see me shine
But they took it all away
They took away my shine.

Just imagine being told
You were not picked because of how u speak
I guess she didn't say it that way
But it was the same message I received

It just wasn't  a good reason
Why I couldn't be at the top
Is it because I speak Creole
Or is it because you just never wanted to give me a chance

This caused conflict within
But there was nobody to listen
Because it's not like I had a voice
Where I could go and talk to the principal

Nobody really understood my dedication
Nobody really understood my pain
I guess  it would be a better reason
If she told me it was because they did 9 subjects
While I did only 8
at the same time everyone seemed to forget that I topped the grade

I was sitting in class one day
When I suddenly brought it up
I don't know if it was the pain talking
But I know I felt stuck

I looked at my teacher
And told him I had a question
He looked at me waiting until finally I asked
"Do you believe I wasn't chosen for valedictorian because of the way I sound?"

I remembered how he looked taken back
He didn't seem surprised
Maybe because he had experienced the unfairness in the school

I remember my classmates commenting
Wanting me to stand up
Who could understand my thoughts at that time
It wasn't the first time
And I guess this won't be the last

I remember my teacher calling me back
Tashena it's not your fault
He said
I never knew someone words could touch me so much
Because he put me to peace with my self

If Getting Rejected for Valedictorian Isn't bad enough
What should I experience in that school
For it to be judged as that


Maybe I'll never forget
This will follow me for life

I found myself many days asking why?
But I never got an answer
It was just another situation left unsolved

The important lesson I learned
Was that I was not alone
That there were persons I could count on
And depend on