Since the day I was born I've been facing trouble.

A broken family, my mom made it out of the rubble.

Torn apart by drugs and dealing, they were part of a statistic. 

My mom got herself out of it, and homelessness became realistic. 

She did well to keep us from our family ties

because with them is where all the destruction lies.

And I remember at times I would cry out for better times,

but all I had to do was study, and break invisible lines.

Going to college, something my grandparents never saw.

They made a living out of breaking the law. 

My mother sought refuge to help me and my sister escape,

the grasps of a "family business" that lead to prison's grates.

Believe me, following their footprints seemed easy, 

but the hard road we took, to make our future right.

Just by not going down the wrong road, we made it through the night. 

I've been given an opportunity to go further than my parents.

Further than my aunts, uncles, and even grandparents.

I am the generation to break the cycle that has destroyed my family.

By giving my all, and being the best that I could be.

Three different times I’ve experienced being homeless,

And I know that I can go further, where my future isn’t hopeless.

As God as my witness, I can go further, and make it.

My future wont be handed to me, so I am going to take it.

Not by following in my family’s footsteps, but by going further.

Owning a real business, and not just flipping burgers.