Maybe

By Harry Baker

Maybe it’s ‘cause they don’t understand you. Maybe it’s because they do and they’re afraid of what they see. Maybe it’s because you are not normal. Maybe normal’s not the thing you need to be. Maybe today will be a good day. Maybe today feels like it’s way too close to call. Maybe one day you’ll look back and laugh at this. Maybe one day you won’t look back at all. Maybe it feels like it’s getting harder may you’re still waiting for that day too come around Maybe it’s because i’m a londoner. That i believe you can’t stop building bridges just ‘cause one is falling down. Hey - i just met you, and this is crazy, but maybe you’re gonna be the one that saves me. after all - you are wonderful. Right now this feels like everything. Right now it always is. It’s only afterwards that we can see there’s more than this. You can be informed by this without being formed by this just as a calm before the storm there is a dark before the dawn in this. Whoever told you you must shrink to fit in got the filter wrong. we are not sculptures to be chipped away but platformed to be built upon so if somehow this changes you. let it be in a resilience in knowing that you made it through do not give them an inkling of a thicker skin. if we stop listening how can the truth that permeates start sinking in? Not every day’s a battle. Not every part of life’s a war. It is the times that lie between that need to be worth fighting for. Remember what this moment is. you may not have chosen this but one day you will be someone who rose from it if you see the same in others you can notice this sometimes we’re too involved in things to see the hope in it so show them this there’s no eclipse without some kind of glow in it. those that know you, know to love you, those that love you, love to know you, those that don’t - forfeit the right to get to be the ones that mould you. if you ever meet the old you, say ‘i come from what you go through,’ there will be times when this is all you have to hold to. There will be days you cannot help but cry and days you cry for help there will be days that you resist or are too tired to rebel when it takes everything to not just be defined by someone else. you can start by showing kindness to yourself.

In the poem “Maybe “ by Harry Baker a theme that shows up a lot is despite the struggles we encounter, depending on ourselves is a reliable way to cope. A quote that goes along with the theme of the poem is “Maybe it’s because you are not normal.” This goes along with the poem because Sometimes we try to fit in and try to be like everyone else and do want everyone else does, but it’s just not right to want to be someone you’re not. Instead, we should be ourselves and embrace who we are. In another quote from the poem “Not every day’s a battle,” Harry Baker didn’t mean a real battle but instead a challenge. Some hard things will get in the way of what you're trying to do in your day. There is either a win or a loss in a battle and you get to choose whether you accomplish your goals for that day or you don’t. I enjoy talking among my peers and sharing ideas but sometimes someone can’t help but to do or say something that someone else finds offensive. I’m guilty of this myself and I’ve had it happen to me many times. I used to turn to other people grieve to. but I soon realized that I should depend on myself because I am a reliable way to endure. I’ve seen people that get their dreams beat down, Maybe it’s because they don’t understand you. Or maybe it’s because they’re afraid of what they see. People you think you know or people you don’t know are just untrustworthy compared to ourselves.

Protestsandgrowingnationaloutcrycontinues

OverthedeathofGeorgeFloyd

Lastnight,peopleprotestinginMinneapolisescalated

Asdemonstratorswerelashedbyteargasandrubberbullets

Themainmessagehere,themainmessagehere,themainmessagehere

Isthattheywanttoseethoseofficersinvolved

Theywanttoseethoseofficersarrested Officersarrested (Ican'tbreathe,Ican'tbreathe)

Trade my 4 x 4 for a G63, ain't no more free Lil Steve

I gave 'em chance and chance and chance again

I even done told them please

I find it crazy the police'll shoot you and know that you dead

But still tell you to freeze

F***** up, I seen what I seen

I guess that mean hold him down if he say he can't breathe

It's too many mothers that's grieving

They killing us for no reason

Been going on for too long to get even

Throw us in cages like dogs and hyenas

I went to court and they sent me to prison

My mama was crushed when they said I can't leave

First I was drunk, then I sobered up quick

When I heard all that time that they gave to Taleeb

He got a life sentence plus

We just some products of our environment

How the f*** they gon' blame us?

You can't fight fire with fire

I know, but at least we can turn up the flames some

Every colored person ain't dumb and all whites not racist

I be judging by the mind and heart, I ain't really into faces

F**** up, the way that we livin' is not getting better

You gotta know how to survive

Stare in the mirror whenever you drive

Overprotective, go crazy for mine

You gotta pay attention to the signs

Seem like the blind following the blind Thinking 'bout everything that's going on I boost security up at my home

I'm with my kind if they right or they wrong

I call him now, he'll pick up the phone

And it's five in the morning, he waking up on it

Tell 'em wherever I'm at, then they comin'

I see blue lights, I get scared and start runnin'

That s*** be crazy, they 'posed to protect us

Throw us in handcuffs and arrest us

While they go home at night, that shi* messed up

Knowing we needed help, they neglect us

Wondering who gon' make them respect us

I can see in your eye that you fed up

Fuc* around, got my shot, I won't let up

They know that we a problem together

They know that we can storm any weather

It's bigger than black and white

It's a problem with the whole way of life

It can't change overnight

But we gotta start somewhere

Might as well gon' 'head start here

We done had a *ell of a year

I'ma make it count while I'm here

God is the only man I fear

*uck it, I'm goin' on the front line

He gon' bust your *ss if you come past that gun line

You know when the storm go away, then the sun shine

You gotta put your head in the game when it's crunch time

I want all my sons to grow up to be monsters

I want all my daughters to show out in public

Seems like we losing our country

But we gotta stand up for something, so this what it comes to

EveryvideoIseeonmyconscience

Igotpower,nowIgottasaysomethin' CorruptedpolicebeentheproblemwhereI'mfrom ButI'dbelyingifIsaiditwasallofthem

Iain'tdothisforthetrend,Idon'tfollowthem

Altercationswiththelaw,hadalotofthem

Peoplespeakingforthepeople,I'mproudofthem

Sticktogether,wecangetitupoutofthem

Ican'tlielikeIdon'trapaboutkillinganddope

ButI'mtellingmyyounginstovote

IdidwhatIdid'causeIdidn'thavenochoiceornohope

Iwasforcedtojustjumpinandgo

Thisbull*hitisallthatweknow,butit'stimeforachange

Gottimetobeserious,notimefornogames

Weain'ttakin'nomore,letusgofromthemchains

Godblesstheysouls,everyoneofthemnames

It'sbiggerthanblackandwhite

It'saproblemwiththewholewayoflife

Itcan'tchangeovernight

Butwegottastartsomewhere

Mightaswellgon''headstarthere

Wedonehada*ellofayear

I'mamakeitcountwhileI'mhere

GodistheonlymanIfear

Theytrainin'officerstokillus

Thenshootin'protestorswiththeserubberbullets

Theyregularpeople,Iknowthattheyfeelit

Thesescarstoodeeptohealus

WhathappenedtoCOVID?Nobodyremember

Itain'tmakin'sense,I'mjustheretovent

Ithappentooneofyourpeople,it'sdifferent

Wegetit,thesystemiswicked,justlearnhowtopickit

Knowledgeispower,IswearI'mawitness,IknowthatI'mgifted

Iwon'tgotoodeep'causeI'mscaredthey'llgetme

Ain'tscaredtoadmitit,someshitIcan'tmention

It'speoplewhocan,well,here'sthechance

Iwon'ttakethestand,butI'lltakeastandforwhatIbelieve

MustnotbebreathingtheairthatIbreathe

YouknowthatthewaythatIbleed,youcanbleed

Ineverbeenafanofpolice

ButmyneighborhoodknowItrytokeeppeace

Soit'sonlyrightthatIgetinthestreets

Marchforareason,notjustonGP

Ourpeoplediedforustobefree

*uckdoyoumean?Thiswasadream

Nowwegotthepowerthatweneedtohave

Theydon'twantuswithitandthat'swhytheymad,yeah

It'sbiggerthanblackandwhite

It'saproblemwiththewholewayoflife

Itcan'tchangeovernight

Butwegottastartsomewhere

Mightaswellgon''headstarthere

Wedonehada*ellofayear

I'mamakeitcountwhileI'mhere

GodistheonlymanIfear

It'sbiggerthanblackandwhite

It'saproblemwiththewholewayoflife

Itcan'tchangeovernight

Butwegottastartsomewhere

Mightaswellgon''headstarthere

Wedonehada*ellofayear

I'mamakeitcountwhileI'mhere

GodistheonlymanIfear