Joy's Word

When my grandmother died

I wanted to die too.

My mother looked at me with pity as I sat there crying.

My grandmother meant everything to me

She was my friend,

She was my teacher,

Not just my grandmother.

In fact, she wasn’t even my grandma,

She was my great-grandmother.

My real one died before her.

I showed up to school shocked and depressed.

Why was I alive

And why wasn’t she?

I keep her stuff near and talk to her every night.

I said her name in class one day and somebody laughed!   

What the heck!?!

Nobody laughed when your dad left,

Nobody laughed when your 15-year-old sister got pregnant,

All serious topics that shouldn’t get laughed at.

She was my grandma,

Not yours so back off!

People say I look ugly,

But who cares

I wasn’t always like that.

No, I’d hide and cry,

I would ask God why?

When should I be asking you why?

I don’t have to be perfect

And you must have forgotten you're not either

So get over yourselves,

Look in the mirror,

Cause I know I am and I’m (McDonald’s song) loving it.

To my grandmother my grandmother,

Who will never see me graduate,

YES, SHE WILL!!

To those kids who hated me,

YES, I WILL!!!

To you all who are just getting to know me,

YOU HAVEN’T SEEN NOTHING YET!!!

I’m like an unfinished book,

No one knows what happens other than God.

Yet you all think you can change that,

Well you can’t

Get over that!

Neither can I

And I stopped trying.

Give up!!!

I won't back down

And I can’t expect you to either.

To all the men in the room listening,

Don't look,

Or fantasize

I’m not an object

I’m a Queen in God’s kingdom

I’m a friend among friends who need friends

I’m a Christian

I’m a daughter

I’m a sister

I’m a writer

I’m a best friend

And no one can or ever will change that.

Thanks for listening

and Maybe from listening

This can change some of the things that have been happening.