INNER CITY STORIES
I need to be myself
Not to find who I am but to mold myself into who I want to be
I need stability, structure, and acceptance
I need to be strong until I can be powerful
I need to be strong for my family
Because no one else will if I’m not
I need to be somebody
Not acknowledged by everyone
But accepted by myself
I want to be kind and creative and brutally honest
Because there’s no time for lies and hatred
I want to be forever present in my siblings’ lives
Because I refuse to leave them behind
If I can’t be strong for myself I have to be strong for them
I will be successful
Not by society's standards, but by mine
I will be happy in whatever I do
I will laugh when others try to put me down
Because I am strong
Because I am worthy
Because I need to be