Let me think about where my journey began.
Strange faces, new places, strum basses, sax cases, cool aces, old
vases, fun races, strong paces.
I had to say bye to the known, face being on my own, feeling like I’m all
alone, call mom and dad on the phone, feeling that pain… I just had to
moan.
When I woke up, class to class mad dash. Notes, speech, paper, presen
tation, lecture, guest speaker, field trip, powerpoint, textbook, printout,
hardcopy, exam. Realizing revising is on the rise, regroup and recoup
while you review and reword and hear the reverb of the resounding
sound of your work being well received. Then you can raise your head
with the pride that you deserve because you weathered the tides and
used your reserves to get through your days.
I had great times with my friends who became my Heroes in our Gym
Class, eating Teriyaki with my Boyz even when I saw them Fall Out, cre
ating our own Home Made Family, Ripping Slyme that we felt we were
eating, hugging those cool Teddy Bears, just relaxing and feeling glad
we had things in Common, watching them singers way up on that hill.
My artistic sense has climbed. It’s a treat I get to meet others that let
their rhythmic feats hit with the heat of a fire and you never see them
tire even when in dire need, going down to the wire just to see them rise
higher and higher.
It has been hard. Times of despair and sadness and stress and head
aches. Sometimes I couldn’t take it and I had to let it out loud, I had
to let it go. Too much inside, I felt like a creature and not a human. I
couldn’t live life at that time so I felt dead for a while.
But I jumped back and now I’m back, so see my back as I walk back
to my life as a man who has your back when it’s against the wall. I see
your faces in my dreams, I can’t get you all out. The pain, mistakes, hap
piness, crazy times. A lot has happened but I’ll be ready.
So, I’ll be shining and shining when I’m rhyming and rhyming, because
I’m doing this for the unsung hero and nothing’s ever promised tomor
row today so I’m gonna take my steps and help the people that have
helped me and the ones that will need help. I’m doing this for them. I’m
letting my rhythm hit as hard as I can with you all so we’ll be shining
together.

by Altair Stephens, ’10