Seize the Opportunities
Little boy, little girl,
Do you know how your history unfurled?
Do you know of the perils of slavery,
Of the price others paid for you to be free?
If it had not been for those who went before,
There would be no open door.
Did you know there was a day when black people
Were denied the right to learn to read or write?
Can you imagine what that must have been like?
Taking away that privilege was a method of control.
Without knowledge a person will lose his soul.
For our people, knowledge became the key
To opportunity,
Ultimately, the light that led the way to
Our forefathers being free
The same holds true today.
Yet, the wisdom that is ours to take is
Being thrown away
That’s why many of us live with our backs
Against the wall,
Barely able to crawl.
Black men’s desire and dreams are going to
An early grave
As with their last breath they rant and rave
About how the white man is holding them back
Did the white man tell them to smoke crack?
So blind are they that they cannot see
They hold the key to opportunity.
They are too complacent to see the subtle attack
Every opportunity we have earned is slowly
Being snatched back
We have to fight to keep what we have earned.
We cannot do this if we refuse to learn.
Ultimately, the decision to live right is ours to make.
We have the wisdom to realize that drugs do not
Give, they only take.
They take, your home, your will to succeed,
Your wife,
Sometimes, they even take your life.
Are you willing to pay such a price?
No one in his right mind would willingly lay down
His life.
Have you considered this?
Wasted opportunities are opportunities you
Willingly miss.
Do you realize that you are guilty of ingratitude.
Check your attitude.
Are your actions saying thank you to those
Who paved the way
Or are you throwing it all away?
Soon, there will be a day when what little we have
Will be stripped away.
We must prepare for that day.
We have to prepare our minds.
There will be no welfare line.
There will be nothing to fall back on in our
Time of need
So, take heed.
This is a dog
Eat dog world,
Only the strong survive
If you don’t have what you need to
Make it, you will be eaten alive.
God opens doors
But he can’t make us walk through the open
Doors.
We have to seize each and every window
of opportunity that comes our
way,
We cannot throw anything away.
Everything we possess was obtained through
The blood, sweat and tears of those who have
Gone before.
We can show our gratitude by being thankful for every open door,
As well as, accepting the challenge and responsibility
To seize every opportunity.
Copyright P. Newman-Harris
Dreams are possible, but you are one who can make them come true.
In the words of Lacrae, "Don't waste your life."
In the words of Lacrae, "Don't waste your life."