“It's more than shadowsThat carry me throughNot some empty shadowed faithOf some empty idolsIts the faith that allows me to doWhat I doFaith in the man thatDied for me on that crossOn CalvaryThe man that gave meThe words I writeAnd the words I pray.”

“Words have power. And I may be privileged and have a higher IQ than any of our former teachers, but when people look at me? They see a black, male teenager. And there is nothing quite as frightening to some folks as an angry young black man.”

“My job as a poet, is not to succumb to despair but to find in words, an antidote for the emptiness of existence.”

“Will he really give her that heart box of candy?” I’d asked the shiny ball. Digital words spelled out across the surface in reply, “Not sure, try again”. I immediately rubbed it again and got “Concentrate and ask once more”. One more vigorous scrub gave me, “Try again later”. So frustrating!”

“Need some help?' he asked.'Yes!' I yelled at him 'Help us!''What's the magic word?''Now!''Close enough.”

“That empty sick feeling came over me again. In a big school it was easy to fade into the background, but I didn’t know if that would be possible here. I tried not to think about it anymore.”

“You have shown me through the darkest nights you still shine for me. You've become more than some fantasy, you've become the fantasy you promised me existed.”