Poetry Break Booklet

I WAS BORN TO© AlyricA Shelia Thomas Created 10 March 1998

I was born to Offer a limit of hope To never use alcohol To never use dope To show up weak, but To leave strong

To nurse on milk and the gospel song To nestle in my Mother's sweet arms To grow up possessing all of her charms To rest my feet on an ottoman pad To never know my real Dad. To feel the whispers of the wind To learn to forgive again and again To experience storms but desire peace To make admirers like you take a second look To be Black but powerful in mankind's sight To soar like an eagle through the night To impact minds and teach the young To love music when I hear it sung To give birth to a boy and a girl To go around the block and around the world To join hearts with a loving man To rock our grands and great great grands To be a sister and a friend To open spirits and related kin To give medicine to the sick and the poor To walk up to 'Ignorance' & kick in the door To use my faith as a map through despair To overcome illness and disease To write my feelings in a book

To close my eyes and see Jesus there To know that I am passing through That my life shall end as all things do But - In the meantime, To converse one-on-one with God To give Him my life and to give Him my heart To bow before Him to receive my wings To hear angelic voices as they sing Happy Birthday Shelia you were born again And you were born to be born again!