Raised Myself

Syrup on toast, cracked plate on the counter

Hand-me-down shoes, toes turnin’ to powder

Mama workin’ doubles, back bent like a question

Fridge light starin’ like, "you learned your lesson?"

Cold nights, coat on, sleep in my sweater

School lunch ticket, hope day gets better

Kids talk brands, I talk rent due

Pocket full of lint, what that pressure gon’ do

I ain’t have much but I made it stretch

Raised myself with this weight on my neck

Turned them late-night tears to a battle cry

If nobody had me, then I had to try

I ain’t have much but I made it mine

Built my own name out of overtime

From the floor of that room where the paint all peeled

Had to be my own father, yeah, I raised myself for real

Learned how to cook from the back of the box

Learned how to fight from the boys on the block

Learned how to lie, "yeah, we eatin’, we fine"

Then go home, split rice, count every grain, every line

Church shoes shined, heart still stained

Fist full of change, whole world changed

Teacher say, "dream," I just dreamt ‘bout heat

Not seein’ my breath when I go to sleep

Now I wipe my own blood off the concrete stories

Stitched every scar into homemade glory

Told that mirror, "you the one, don’t hide"

If love ain’t around, then it’s comin’ from inside

Walked myself home when the street got rough

Pat my own back when the times got tough

Tucked myself in when the dark crept close

Whispered, "you enough," ‘cause I needed that most