Grains of hope still remain
Memories invade my brain
When I seek peace
I feel knee-deep in the System
Like quick sand forcing me back to the darkness

But I won’t fall in the same mud I did before
I walk on a different road
Through a different door
Wanting more and more change to come
Like people that love me and keep me going
Flowing
Without me knowing

I pour my story out like water for the thirsty
From gang to organic garden
Now the only dirt I do
Is with my bare hands and heirloom seeds
My heart screams peace
With each rhyme I release
The wind and trees
The birds and bees come together for this ritual
Of earth and rebirth
Making the disconnected reconnect
Like war vets with their souls
Becoming whole
In this cold world
Warmed by my daughter’s hugs
My dirty Chucks

There are still grains of hope
Even when your daddy is smoking dope
Looking at life through a microscope

I welcome you to this show
Where love floats and hearts know
They can finally be safe
Away from that beehive of lies
Guns and knives

This space is called freedom
My ego died because I couldn’t feed him
I’m a newborn with a new spirit
A greater mission
The real me

Posted by kind permission of the poet. David Sanchez wrote this poem through his involvement with Street Poets, Inc. which has been featured in our Grateful Changemaker series.
Image courtesy of Street Poets, Inc.