by Brenda's Child
My purpose in life is to use my story as a testimony
So those in the darkness can see that
There are no such things as excuses or limits
Restrictions or boundaries.
It starts with acceptance, and self-love
Which leads to confidence,
Then anything can be accomplished.
My great daddy was a sharecropper,
My grandma, a maid,
My mother had me at 19
And I gave birth to my first son at the same age.
Like her I was on Medicaid,
Lived in subsidized apartments
Paid 40 dollars a month for rent, thanks to section 8.
A decade later I had a master's degree,
Bought my own home, on my own,
I guess you can call it a the UNdeferred dream
I’ve experienced and seen both poverty and financial stability
Driven off lots with brand new cars
And had to get jumpstarts on hoop-tees.
But none of this defines me
No amount of money, schooling or extensive vocabulary
Can dictate my worth.
Like Maya Angelou said.
“You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes"
And yes it does hurt,
But because my ancestor's prayed for me... centuries
Before my birth
Like her and the many others before me "Still I rise.”
And it should come as no surprise that
My purpose in life is to use my story as a testimony
So those in the darkness can see that
There are no such things as excuses or limits
Restrictions or boundaries.
My past is significant
It shaped me, but it doesn’t define me
The world owes me no favors
Because I suffered awful tragedies.
As a matter of fact I owe it to my mother
And her mother to continue their legacy
Of love, encouragement and stern nurturing.
I must lead by example and set high expectations
For those who don’t recognize their potential,
Their magnificence,
I’ll quote Maya again,
“She stands in the classroom loving children into understanding.”
That’s me,
This is my burden but it’s more of a blessing
I’m the wounded healer.
Learning about myself, while teaching life lessons.
