I am only a girl, so I can’t dream of

flying an airplane

running for government

becoming a doctor

open a business, with confidence easeness

play basketball

study in school

do somersaults

not be as a fool

I am only a female, so I can’t dream of

constructing a building

becoming a lawyer

success as an artist

published endouver

with professional stupor

move forward in kindness

with mental strength rumored

leaving my sadness

and in struggles find humor

I am only a woman

so I can’t dream of

leading my life

and becoming a wife

while creating more leaders

kind humans and givers

educated prone readers

and in intellect find

a purpose not bind

potential within

regardless of skin

I am not only the person

I am not only the girl

I am not only the female

I am not only the woman

I am not only the boy

I am not only the male

I am not only the man

for not in mysterious ways

do we do as one says

but in knowing ourselves

we can do what compels

and redifine I am only

and Say I AM indeed I AM

I AM who I Believe myself to be

I AM……………

Gratitude is the friend

that can mend a bitter end

adjust the lens, begin again

in Gratitude we learn to stand

as we partake, submerge into streets of gratitude

we begin to understand our self perceived latitude

as the lens adjusts and bends

the focus of life  develops and mends

for when we see beyond the caterpillar

the shadows within our tunneled cocoons

we recognize they were essentially a pillar

never understood by simple buffoons

and so in lands beyond our reach

how it comes that knowledge preach

Is it divine unforeseen plan?

for in this world there is one land

from the time I wrote a fate

a candle steady wax on plate

The glimmer of a shining candle

the pencil on a single handle

As it glides along the printed lines

Creating memories in rhymes

Gratitude was indeed the words

that exited from my silenced cords

for in that page of written vision

I had sealed my life’s conviction

In the end line, as words would sift

I wrote these words, Life is A Gift

The way we spend our life

will determine and define

for if we spend our life in hate

we will remain a simple slave

but if we stand beyond our latitude

We will live, rejoice, succeed

in inner peace, freedom

Gratitude.

“The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress”

Joseph Joubert

What is a victim, is it a system?

a person a place, a gender or race

what is a victim, is it a system?

composed in a place, cocconed in a case

It sleeps in our attitude

to desifer our attribute

the victim it speaks

in valleys and peaks

as we see them coming

we start slowly humming

to alter the fate

or perhaps ignore hate

you see, I refuse to reduce

and instead introduce

for as long as we sleep

in the sheets of despair and defeat

as long as we creep

from the possible storm or afraid to repeat

as long as we silence

we point fingers, blame, or create senseless violence

the victim it creeps, it sleeps and it lives

in the present and future continue it weaves

when we choose to face personal fears

and decide there is no room for tears

if we look past our skin, our muscle, our vessels and nerves

into the spirit, the light, the soul without any reserves

we decide

what better life awaits

when we speak of the wonderful traits

the attributes we individually possess

or the talent we collectively caress

when the focus is given to utter success

what is left, but a grain of negative whispered regress

And a loud call, for nothing less than well deserved progress

so what will it take

to decide you must break

and victory speak