Dreaming By Bo-Edward Lawrence Poem by Bo Edward Lawrence

MLK performance

Dreaming is such a beautiful thing
A place where a cloud of your thoughts and wildest imaginations can run free in harmony
A place where your problems aren't holding you back because you're being pushed by your dreams
A place where we know that the potential of greatness lives within each of us
But
Can you
Close your eyes and imagine
The streets of Chicago or the streets of New Orleans
Where dreams cannot even pass the doorstep to go outside
Because if they go outside
Those bullets with no name will pierce through your mind separating your thoughts and killing your hopes
And have you playing basketball after school with ghosts
These kids start to believe that it's impossible to dream anymore
Because its a farther walk to school than it is to the Gun or liquor store
Dreams are the closest thing to freedom, but it's hard to dream when your dreams are being interrupted by the cries for help that seems like screams
The signs they throw up seem so irrelevant
But with each sign they sign It's so evident
The streets is filled with ventriloquists

See we have fallen in a mindset where we forgot how to dream
Forgotten That we have the right to believe in ourselves
Forgotten that educating ourselves is so important because in time we never had the opportunity. And now that we are given it we must cherish every moment of it
We have Forgotten that even if we become lost in life and close our eyes in the presence of God that he still finds away to touch our hearts and point us to the right direction

See our dreams is not directed into the window of the future anymore
They are being absorbed by material things that we care more for than someone else's life
See we buy things like diamonds not realizing that we are killing some African boys dream to even live
We Didn't have a clue that the rapper was helping the rapers, raiders of the villagers, pillagers of the schools.
Shooters of the innocent, torturers of the witnesses, burners of the businesses
And my bracelet was the fuel.

Don't let the material things of today, shine brighter than your dreams of tomorrow
Because if we get trapped in the moment
Our eyes will never open to explore and admire life
Don't ever allow your pillows to file a restraining order on your dreams
Because at night are minds would never run free to chase the stars anymore

I will never let myself fall into the point of no return
And the next time my friend approaches me and tells me how expensive their clothes are and that it's Luis or givenchy
I'll tell them that education is pretty expensive to and that's what you should be worried about because sadly
you can't buy freedom through retail so don't flaunt irrelevant things proudly
because education has this beautiful way of making your mind feel godly
Education cost money but ignorance costs so much more

Martin Luther king taught me
That the reward is not as beautiful without the struggle
I want everyone in this room to raise your hand and put it over your heart
Do you feel that?
That's purpose
So whenever someone looks you in the face and tells you you can't be anything or you can never do it
Remember this
Remember that you are alive for a reason,
Don't follow your dreams
Chase Them!