I would like to share the lyrics to a song that I wrote a few years ago it is
song that I wrote a few years ago it is
song that I wrote a few years ago it is a song that I would have loved to sing
a song that I would have loved to sing
a song that I would have loved to sing to this young man if I had the
to this young man if I had the
to this young man if I had the opportunity if I could take a little
opportunity if I could take a little
opportunity if I could take a little trip back in time talk to myself when I
trip back in time talk to myself when I
trip back in time talk to myself when I was about 8 or 9 my daddy is long gone
was about 8 or 9 my daddy is long gone
was about 8 or 9 my daddy is long gone replaced by a man who does not care the
replaced by a man who does not care the
replaced by a man who does not care the emotional baggage is full much more than
emotional baggage is full much more than
emotional baggage is full much more than any child should there I would tell
any child should there I would tell
any child should there I would tell myself it will be all all right I know
myself it will be all all right I know
myself it will be all all right I know that you are hurting and the pain it
that you are hurting and the pain it
that you are hurting and the pain it runs deep you are in the dark and you
runs deep you are in the dark and you
runs deep you are in the dark and you cannot see all I ask is that you put
cannot see all I ask is that you put
cannot see all I ask is that you put your trust in me and in these words
your trust in me and in these words
your trust in me and in these words please believe I promise it will be all
please believe I promise it will be all
please believe I promise it will be all alright
alright
alright statistically speaking there are many
statistically speaking there are many
statistically speaking there are many reasons why I am not supposed to be on
reasons why I am not supposed to be on
reasons why I am not supposed to be on this stage today
this stage today
this stage today that said there are many more reasons
that said there are many more reasons
that said there are many more reasons that the stats do not account for that
that the stats do not account for that
that the stats do not account for that on this stage in front of you today and
on this stage in front of you today and
on this stage in front of you today and this moment is exactly where I should be
this moment is exactly where I should be
this moment is exactly where I should be when I was about 12 years old my mother
when I was about 12 years old my mother
when I was about 12 years old my mother made a decision that I should move and
made a decision that I should move and
made a decision that I should move and live with my grandmother my mother and
live with my grandmother my mother and
live with my grandmother my mother and my father were married for about a year
my father were married for about a year
my father were married for about a year before divorcing marking the end of his
before divorcing marking the end of his
before divorcing marking the end of his presence in my life my mother then
presence in my life my mother then
presence in my life my mother then remarried a man who become my brother
remarried a man who become my brother
remarried a man who become my brother and sisters father my stepfather and I
and sisters father my stepfather and I
and sisters father my stepfather and I never really had a good relationship in
never really had a good relationship in
never really had a good relationship in fact that relationship became so toxic
fact that relationship became so toxic
fact that relationship became so toxic that it made my mother choose that it
that it made my mother choose that it
that it made my mother choose that it was on my best interest to go and live
was on my best interest to go and live
was on my best interest to go and live with my grandmother
with my grandmother
with my grandmother it was while living with my grandmother
it was while living with my grandmother
it was while living with my grandmother that I began writing I started to write
that I began writing I started to write
that I began writing I started to write down my thoughts and feelings and some
down my thoughts and feelings and some
down my thoughts and feelings and some people call them poems but for me
people call them poems but for me
people call them poems but for me writing was just a release
writing was just a release
writing was just a release of the pain and sadness the frustration
of the pain and sadness the frustration
of the pain and sadness the frustration and confusion that I was feeling at the
and confusion that I was feeling at the
and confusion that I was feeling at the time one day I took one of these
time one day I took one of these
time one day I took one of these so-called poems to my aunt and asked her
so-called poems to my aunt and asked her
so-called poems to my aunt and asked her to read she did and due to the
to read she did and due to the
to read she did and due to the circumstances that surrounded my life at
circumstances that surrounded my life at
circumstances that surrounded my life at the time what I was writing was decently
the time what I was writing was decently
the time what I was writing was decently melancholy and my aunt curiously asked
melancholy and my aunt curiously asked
melancholy and my aunt curiously asked where is this coming from me being
where is this coming from me being
where is this coming from me being reluctant and like way too cool to talk
reluctant and like way too cool to talk
reluctant and like way too cool to talk about feelings right I just said to my
about feelings right I just said to my
about feelings right I just said to my aunt
aunt
aunt oh you know that’s just me freaking them
oh you know that’s just me freaking them
oh you know that’s just me freaking them words you know she was like I freaking
words you know she was like I freaking
words you know she was like I freaking them words whatever that means I just
them words whatever that means I just
them words whatever that means I just wanted you to know that you’re a good
wanted you to know that you’re a good
wanted you to know that you’re a good writer and you should keep writing so I
writer and you should keep writing so I
writer and you should keep writing so I did I became addicted to affirmation it
did I became addicted to affirmation it
did I became addicted to affirmation it felt good at a time where feeling good
felt good at a time where feeling good
felt good at a time where feeling good was rare so I continued to write knowing
was rare so I continued to write knowing
was rare so I continued to write knowing that the more I wrote the more of that
that the more I wrote the more of that
that the more I wrote the more of that good feeling I would receive years later
good feeling I would receive years later
good feeling I would receive years later now I’m an adult and I decided to start
now I’m an adult and I decided to start
now I’m an adult and I decided to start this community service project that
this community service project that
this community service project that would later become to nurture the
would later become to nurture the
would later become to nurture the creative mind organization the aim of
creative mind organization the aim of
creative mind organization the aim of this community service project to help
this community service project to help
this community service project to help young people see their value giving them
young people see their value giving them
young people see their value giving them the gift that I received so many years
the gift that I received so many years
the gift that I received so many years ago it started to all make sense why I
ago it started to all make sense why I
ago it started to all make sense why I had the experiences that I did and went
had the experiences that I did and went
had the experiences that I did and went through the things I did when I was
through the things I did when I was
through the things I did when I was younger I understood what it was like to
younger I understood what it was like to
younger I understood what it was like to want to be seen and to feel valued I
want to be seen and to feel valued I
want to be seen and to feel valued I also understood what it was like to not
also understood what it was like to not
also understood what it was like to not be at all but then I understood what it
be at all but then I understood what it
be at all but then I understood what it was like to finally be seen and feel
was like to finally be seen and feel
was like to finally be seen and feel valued so how am I going to get these
valued so how am I going to get these
valued so how am I going to get these young people to believe in themselves I
young people to believe in themselves I
young people to believe in themselves I thought of a few things but I landed on
thought of a few things but I landed on
thought of a few things but I landed on what I knew we was going to freak them
what I knew we was going to freak them
what I knew we was going to freak them words
words
words I was going to use poetry as a way of
I was going to use poetry as a way of
I was going to use poetry as a way of connecting to young people helping them
connecting to young people helping them
connecting to young people helping them see themselves and the value and others
each week I worked with about 20 young
each week I worked with about 20 young people teaching them poetry studying
people teaching them poetry studying
people teaching them poetry studying poetry but in our own way we use song
poetry but in our own way we use song
poetry but in our own way we use song lyrics that the students chose we went
lyrics that the students chose we went
lyrics that the students chose we went over metaphors and dissected analogies
over metaphors and dissected analogies
over metaphors and dissected analogies and all the other academic tools that
and all the other academic tools that
and all the other academic tools that form a poem each week their assignment
form a poem each week their assignment
form a poem each week their assignment was to write one poem just one and each
was to write one poem just one and each
was to write one poem just one and each week there were multiple students
week there were multiple students
week there were multiple students running up to me and approaching me in
running up to me and approaching me in
running up to me and approaching me in the hallways in between classes
the hallways in between classes
the hallways in between classes hey mr. Jackson check it out check it
hey mr. Jackson check it out check it
hey mr. Jackson check it out check it out I wrote this poem last night
out I wrote this poem last night
out I wrote this poem last night hey mr. Jackson look I wrote three poems
hey mr. Jackson look I wrote three poems
hey mr. Jackson look I wrote three poems oh yeah let me check those out okay cool
oh yeah let me check those out okay cool
oh yeah let me check those out okay cool yo this is dope I like that the way you
yo this is dope I like that the way you
yo this is dope I like that the way you use like soccer as a metaphor for life
use like soccer as a metaphor for life
use like soccer as a metaphor for life that’s smooth you’re a good writer you
that’s smooth you’re a good writer you
that’s smooth you’re a good writer you should keep writing it was at this
should keep writing it was at this
should keep writing it was at this moment I started to understand that my
moment I started to understand that my
moment I started to understand that my story was not unique that there were so
story was not unique that there were so
story was not unique that there were so many young people screaming to be seen I
many young people screaming to be seen I
many young people screaming to be seen I also understood that this community
also understood that this community
also understood that this community service project was much more than a
service project was much more than a
service project was much more than a community service project that I had
community service project that I had
community service project that I had found my life’s purpose helping young
found my life’s purpose helping young
found my life’s purpose helping young people see their value earlier I said
people see their value earlier I said
people see their value earlier I said that on this stage is where I belong I
that on this stage is where I belong I
that on this stage is where I belong I believe that to be true what I did not
believe that to be true what I did not
believe that to be true what I did not tell you is that when I was asked to be
tell you is that when I was asked to be
tell you is that when I was asked to be a presenter there were two distinct
a presenter there were two distinct
a presenter there were two distinct emotions that I felt fear and doubt I
emotions that I felt fear and doubt I
emotions that I felt fear and doubt I feared that I wouldn’t do well or well
feared that I wouldn’t do well or well
feared that I wouldn’t do well or well enough and I doubted whether or not I
enough and I doubted whether or not I
enough and I doubted whether or not I was even worthy but someone planted a
was even worthy but someone planted a
was even worthy but someone planted a seed of belief many many years ago and
seed of belief many many years ago and
seed of belief many many years ago and that seed grew and that belief became
that seed grew and that belief became
that seed grew and that belief became our courage and regardless of how strong
our courage and regardless of how strong
our courage and regardless of how strong the
the
the winds of fear and doubt maybe I am
winds of fear and doubt maybe I am
winds of fear and doubt maybe I am rooted in my belief if you want to do
rooted in my belief if you want to do
rooted in my belief if you want to do something meaningful something impactful
something meaningful something impactful
something meaningful something impactful something that doesn’t cost you any
something that doesn’t cost you any
something that doesn’t cost you any money but has an infinite ripple effect
money but has an infinite ripple effect
money but has an infinite ripple effect then go and give someone the gift of
then go and give someone the gift of
then go and give someone the gift of belief thank you
belief thank you
belief thank you [Applause]
”
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