In the wise words of a man
Who spread knowledge across this land
While being treated like dirt and sand
With cuts and bruises on his hands
I grew up, as a black person in the south
Constantly being told to shut my mouth
Because not everything is what it seems
Because we don’t have the money to have a dream
Dreaming costs money
And when we stand on our own podiums
And when the day seems sunny
It reminds us where we come from
Struggle, segregation.
And it only fuels our temptation
To divide our communities the same way we divide our minds
And we never know when to draw the lines
We divide ourselves as if we are on teams
But I’m just here to say “I have a dream”
A dream that we can stop separating our brain
And finally clean the cursed stains
Left behind us by history
And all our oppression can stop being a mystery
But when do those dreams finally become reality?
And when can we escape from this agony?
We can all share our dreams
But they’re just that, dreams. That’s all it means
So dear 76.3% of Americans
Have your dreams been pushed aside?
Are you pushed aside by your arrogance?
or does that simply bring you pride?
Knowing you will never have to show fear in the eyes of someone with power
And not afraid that you’ll die within the hour
Of when a cop pulls you over for a broken taillight
But the second they see your skin, its a gun in your sight.
Will your dreams ever come true the same way we want ours to?
or will you simply take that for granted
Do you ever feel like you need to stop dreaming?
Because no matter how hard you try, you always end up empty handed.
Jaylen Abney 9th Grade Middle College-UNCG Rev. Timothy Fitzgerald New Goshen United Methodist Church
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