I Remember - The Reminders

I used to rock a 32 on my shoes

Long pony tail and bangs

I wore my brothers hand me downs

No make up on my face

Remembering in them days that they used to call me gay

Because the charms I ain’t displayed made me target for their play

Dynamics of the school yard was predators and prey

Shut 'em up quick, with my fists, when they called me names

And then I’d runaway to the recesses in my brain

And place upon the page all the things I couldn’t say

I had scars from head to toe, they embarrassed me much

Because the other little girls would call them ugly and such

It’s like I was the duck, it’s like they were the swans

While I was drowning in muck, they were swimming on ponds

And then one day I had enough

Of always being tough

Of hiding my scars, and being afraid

And always trying to fit inside boxes they made

I quit, following the crowd and started finding my way

I learned I’m blessed to be me, just the way I am

My mother made sure of it, she’d always tell me that

The differences in people is where you find the beauty at

The differences in people is where you find the beauty at

And I remember

And I remember, I remember, I remember

Couple of years going to school, rocking the same shoes

Broke and embarrassed hood was always on the morning news

No daddy home momma raised us on her own

She worked hard and partied I was out with the crew

Acting grown, covered my true self by always being wild for the night

But really shy and insecure until I learned how to fight

Stopped running from skin heads but still picked on for my color

Got on that black and proud '74 soul power

But back in the congo they called me ??

a child of Europe

Grew up a little confused about where I belonged hold up

I’m a true product of colonization, discrimination

Humiliation, no self determination

Back in the day when I was young I’m not a kid anymore

You see life ain’t always harmonies and dreams

And everything in life ain’t always what it seems

No matter what they do to bring me down to my knees

I’ll always believe in me

No matter what they do to bring me down to my knees

I’ll always believe in me

And I remember, I remember, I remember