Time to post another ‘found poem,’ created from lines written during a single writing session inside. These go back to the week we read and responded to Maya Angelou’s “I Rise” poem. That poem elicited a lot of extremely powerful individual writing; taken together, lines from the minds and pens of many weave into a true battle cry:

From a past that is rooted in pain
always steered this way and that
I had to rise –
this was no good place to stay,
a constant state of eclipse.
After this journey I’ll never be the same.

I am the dream and the hope;
I carry possibility in the tip of my pen,
the wonderful absurdity of laughing through the tears,
daring to be bold.
I will not give up and not give in.

The bright lit midway’s
bitter twisted lies
loved me, couldn’t live without me?
Every addict ever known
passed that love along to all their friends.

You are broken,
tore me apart
for your gain,
tried to make me feel like you.
I bet this all comes as a surprise –
I didn’t let you break me down.
I conquered maturity,
reclaimed my wounded self
a real pure smile and confidence.

The words you say aren’t true,
advising me my life is worthless.
You won’t always have the upper hand –
I will walk away
search for beauty.
They’ll turn their heads,
say I’m strong.

You’ll never be the death of me.
I am the dream and the hope.
I’ll rise, I’ll rise.