Decisions In Life

As I begin to close out my year "sabbatical" from the classroom, one thing has become evident: my students are the constant and driving force behind my love, desire, and inspiration to continue teaching and be a life long learner. 

In addition to this blog being a place for me to share my learning and growth, I hoped it to be a platform in which my students (past, present, and future) could also share their thoughts, their insight, and their light.  

I am thus honored to share with you the first contribution by a student, the inspirational voice of Marcos Tellez (UAGC c/o 2015).  Thank you, Marcos. 

Decisions In Life
Marcos Tellez 

(Bronx, New York; June 2014)

The past, the present and the future.

I once read a book called “This is how you lose her”.

It taught me a lot and it made me even think,

That life goes on, yeah faster than you blink.

Once upon a time, a young boy came to say,

Why the fuck is life hard, each and every way? 

People always ask me why I’m always stressing.

They see my gray hair, it’s the way I be expressing. 

No one knows how I really feel.

Always asking my self is the life I live for real.

Cause I always got to go through a lot of pain.

It’s so much that not even words can explain.

It’s a life, I never thought I live.

Since my dad left, I could never learn to forgive.

He left me all alone with my sisters and a mother.

He left me all alone without even a brother. 

He left as soon as I turned 8 years old

Now I’m 16, my life changed 8 years ago.

He left my heart cold and hard like a stone.

And for half my life, I had to learn on my own.

No one could ever try to replace my father.

He left 1 son and 3 other daughters.

And at the end, we realized that he failed, 

As being a father, he could never prevail.

He tried, to do everything he could, 

But he didn’t do the things a real father would. 

So since he left, that’s my story began, 

It was a sad start but my path to become a man.

And for being who I am, trying to be a man,

Trying to be someone who I never thought I can.

I learned what life is and what it has to offer, 

The only thing I don’t need is an irresponsible father.

And so I let my mind out, I let it be free.

Then I realized something that not many people see. 

We just live and die, there’s just nothing we can do. 

Growing up, getting old, then reminiscing on how we grew.

And there’s another thing that not many might know.

That life is different, then from a long time ago.

We used to have people that would care for one another,

But now we have people that just fight each other.

They don’t give a fuck about the shit that they do.

Acting all lost like they got no fucking clue.

Why can’t this world be just like before? 

A world without the trouble and without the wars. 

Every day, people are usually lost on what to do.

Waking up every morning feeling like a statue.

Cold and hard, they’re lost all up in their mind.

They don’t realize that they’re just wasting their time.

Thinking everything is good but no it’s not fine.

Can’t you see, it’s not easy when love and hate combine.

The two feelings that are most felt in one’s heart.

The mind and soul could never be kept apart.

They need one another like another husband and wife.

That’s just how it is, so don’t play with your life.

Remember, we still got a long way to go. 

Some of us are young and some of us are old.

So don’t give up on what you want to be,

Always remember to just follow your dreams.

Cause my dreams is to one day become the president.

I will never give up, I don’t care if I’m Mexican.

No one can never stop me from my own success. 

Cause I have a lot of words that I need to address.

So wake up, live life, then go back to sleep,

Close your eyes, open your mind, then think really deep.

Don’t worry about nothing, just focus on your thoughts.

Think about college, don’t think about selling rocks.

I once was a poet, but now a rapper with my quotes.

I once wrote a story and here’s what I wrote.

The meaning of life can never be defined.

And once you make a choice, you can never rewind.

The choice was meant to help you re-awake.

You try to make the best of every mistake.

So I hope that you all learned a valuable lesson,

That life isn’t a game, it’s a gift of god’s blessing.

But what really matters are the choices that you make.

The decisions in life are for your own sake.