Walk Out of your Box With Purpose

Spoken Poetry

By: CEO and Founder of Teens Tutor Teens, Gabriela Nguena Jones

“Take the lines that connect the dots, and yes — “X” marks the spot”
“The spot in my life that was a cruel time” “An awakening, and a moment’s hastening” “6th grade, happy and proud of the title that shrouded me, and my black excellence for all those to see” “ Unfortunately, the things that were eye-opening, education and a life awaiting me- were paused” “My popularity, stripped away from me, like the colors on my skin- a diamond in the rough” “ With that my friend, my friends went as well” “ And there I just asked, ‘when will my truth be enough?’” “ You see Thoreau said truth is stronger than error” “ And I believe my truth is enough” “Fear of the authority the popular kids had on me and Fear of the authority my education has instilled in me- black excellence” “ Contemplating, meditating, and keeping all my thoughts together- as if they were sedentary” “ Do not let the black sheep go unheard” “ Let its bahh ring higher than griots of the slaves who defied their masters- and lower than the- unsettled spirits of the uprising generation as it transitions from me- to we” “ “ You see Thoreau said- the minority is powerless when it conforms to the majority, and yes we are the minority, the dreams deferred, the carriers of the past, and the workers of the future” “The minority consisting of: women- black and Hispanics, and add natives -with south and middle east Asians” “We are the kids who are too young to vote and the- elderly living off the support”“ We must stand tall for the visions that inspire us, and not allow them to- shut our eyes and be blinded by their sights” “ we must engage all and converse of ideas, and not allow a punishment to weaken our fall” “A cat may have 9 lives, but we- must live for one” “ And if there is one question that I must ask it is what would you do at all?