Teachers

My teachers were there....they were there they were there They heard the cries for freedom and they saw the blood shed They were there...they were there They marched on Washington Those elementary teachers of mine And they told us about it Time after time after...time Time has changed since then, and i'm glad for that because my teachers showed me how hard they had to fight...for this... They told us the stories with tears in their eyes, they sang us the hymns and the taught us the lines They showed us the videos... Of men being attacked by dogs and scalded by the pressure of water from fire hoses Women brutally pulled away from the scene, screams ripped from their lungs Guns are not far off and burning crosses are not far behind them Bricks through windows and bombs through basements To kill little girls that did nothing but go to church I saw the videos...I saw their victories Saw their hurts So at night I hurt That is what got me here In West Compton, relatively safe THAT is what got me here. What is stopping them from wanting to take everything back? What is keeping them from coming here? Will they come through my window? Will they burn me alive? Will I cry for freedom too? My teachers taught me how to fight For what I believe are my rights They also taught me to stay awake at night And how to fear.