Pagesofhope

Pages of Hope
words: Daniel Rapheal, Mohammed Yahya, Dawud Wharnsby
music: Dawud Wharnsby

We live and hide ironically,

Behind old books and words with power to set us free.
Sometimes it takes the eyes of youth to see.
Walls go up and walls do fall,
Based on the fear within us all.

When I was eleven, Holland was invaded
Borders were closed, no way to escape it.
Gradually we were demonized,
Legally dehumanized.
All of this was legislated.
Civil service orchestrated.
Civil right s were decimated.
Now our bodies are cremated.

I Cease, to be
In a world so infected
By hatred indeed.

Trying to change
The way that I see,
The vision of Anne now
Projected through me.

I study her strength,
Courage to speak,
In a world unjust,
Freedom we seek.

Her words have become,
So much more than writing.
In times of Oppression,
Providing some guidance.

We live and hide ironically,
Behind old books and words with power to set us free.
Sometimes it takes the eyes of youth to see.
Walls go up and walls do fall,
Based on the fear within us all.

When I was thirteen we fled into hiding,
My life I confide in the diary I write in.
Its prejudice that put us here.
We need to struggle through the tears.
I was sent to my death for no crime.
My crime was belonging to my tribe.
Would you have the strength to resist this?
Perhaps you would've assisted?

Oppressed them,
In chambers you left them.
Beaten mistreated.
Without any question.

I question the actions
Of those that were there.
They saw the injustice
But still didn't care.

Let's pray for the souls
Of The men and the women,
The young and the old,

Suffered in silence,
With stories untold.
If we fail to address
Then they'll never be known.

We live and hide ironically,
Just a curtain crudely hung between you and me.
If we bend our guns to pens, we will see,
Walls go up and walls do fall,
Based on the hope within us all.

In every time and every place
Where people try to hide their face,
May this diary be a legacy,
To resuscitate the memory.
If we value human liberty
We need to take responsibility.
To be free means resisting tyranny,
and I know that it begins with me.

The eyes of the youth
will forever see
The voice of the voiceless
Spoken through me
I believe in a change
That we can achieve,
Through Love equality acceptance peace.

And we will be,
One day free,
Cause peace means more
Than absence of war.
In the struggle for justice
We'll never conform.

We live and hide ironically,
Just a curtain crudely hung between you and me.
If we bend our guns to pens, we will see,
Walls go up and walls do fall.
We hide away, wish we were free.
Time to untether love and bravery.
Sometimes it takes the words of youth to see,
Walls go up and walls do fall,
Based on the hope within us all.