i believe in living.

[Polanyi]

i believe in living.

By Assata Shakur

 

i believe in living.

i believe in the spectrum

of Beta days and Gamma people.

i believe in sunshine.

In windmills and waterfalls,

tricycles and rocking chairs;

And i believe that seeds grow into sprouts.

And sprouts grow into trees.

i believe in the magic of the hands.

And in the wisdom of the eyes.

i believe in rain and tears.

And in the blood of infinity.

 

i believe in life.

And i have seen the death parade

march through the torso of the earth,

sculpting mud bodies in its path

i have seen the destruction of the daylight

and seen bloodthirsty maggots

prayed to and saluted

 

i have seen the kind become the blind

and the blind become the bind

in one easy lesson.

i have walked on cut grass.

i have eaten crow and blunder bread

and breathed the stench of indifference

 

i have been locked by the lawless.

Handcuffed by the haters.

Gagged by the greedy.

And, if i know anything at all,

it's that a wall is just a wall

and nothing more at all.

It can be broken down.

 

i believe in living

i believe in birth.

i believe in the sweat of love

and in the fire of truth.

 

And i believe that a lost ship,

steered by tired, seasick sailors,

can still be guided home to port.