INNER CITY STORIES

It all started back in eighth grade

The year my grades weren't exactly straight

and before the life of an athlete

that would begin after my first track meet.

I’d given myself a shot at b-balling

but man, those coaches kept on stonewalling.

After not making the cut, though

my mind felt dead and was about to blow,

So then I gave the track wave a try

and thought, oh lord, I was about to die.

Even after I was considered too slow,

I told myself I would give it a go

To the point where any improvements would matter

Since they climb straight up, like steps on a ladder.

And that's exactly what happened

I was into it, I felt trapped, and I couldn’t be happier

I made the team somehow

I wasn't so good, but look at me now.

I ran with my thin legs and ate up the dust

Now I run with heart and a whole lot of guts.

Look at me now making all-state,

The key to that success was simple faith.

Obviously going through all the struggles

Is how you get better and learn to hustle

Just to get to the very top.

After all of that effort I’ll never stop.

Yes, freshman year presented some obstacles

But still I soon became virtually unstoppable

Right into sophomore year, where it all began

I’d never imagined each time I ran

I'd become such a serious runner

Who made the local paper over the summer.

My progress was so fast it just seemed crazy

And the records I broke seemed vaguely wavy

Now, even schools in other countries want me.

These are the things that track has taught me.

Track has brought out my inner beast mode

To reveal how well I can compete in the flow.

Once I timed a one-lap in fifty two,

Other teams hated me for that, but hey, I had to.

Making me well-known is what the medals can do.

This is the one thing that I never knew

I’d become famous for in my high school.

I've made huge progress since then, which is cool.

It takes a lot of hard work and dedication

Also consistent mental preparation

In order for me to perform my very best

To go all out and smoke the rest.

It’d take just one trip over a hurdle

Or a fall, turning my knees painful purple.

Mistakes are all just part of the sport,

Mistakes that I’ve learned can hurt you worse

Than the harshest judgments issued in a court.

Sometimes I let the danger sink through my head

But then recall what Michael Jordan once said

There’s no “I” in team, but there is in win

And that’s where my mindset has steadily been.

As my coach never fails to mention,

Victory is always my main intention.

It is crazy that life on the track

Shows there’s never a moment to slack,

But that’s how I learned to become the man

Who takes dubs like a beast, ever since I first ran.

Artwork by Carlos Villarini