My Message

this is a spoken word piece that is to the younger hmong generation, but can really be towards anyone hmong or not. I read this particualr piece at the culture shows at St. Cloud State of Minnesota and University of Minesota: Duluth. Thanks for the invites and here's the poem "my message"
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To my young Hmong women…
You are much more then your hips and thighs
Speak truth through your lips and eyes
Shake pass the pain and lies
Open your heart and realize, when we men bring you down
That only you can stand up and never back down
I’m telling you this from the other side
Cause you are my mother, sisters, aunts, and nieces
Don’t let those short skirts and skin be your voice
God gave you a tongue so preach until you’re heard
Sing your song, because only you can deliver the melody
Hum your harmony, no matter what your dreams are, let them be forever
Don’t let one man make you leave us
Those stories you hear…are stories, there are still good in some of us
You are Queens; don’t let any fool be your King
When time gets hard don’t forget those who were with you from the start
And those who broke your heart, don’t let them be your light
When it feels like only darkness, know that even the smallest light still shines bright
Many times I have heard your stories
From broken dreams alongside the typical theme
I try to understand the heartache that passes through the soul
But only could hear your words…so here I write to your soul

To my young Hmong women
You are so much more…
Don’t let any man tell you you’re not beautiful
You are the stars that shine through the darken skies
There will be times when others leave you dry
Don’t cry, always believe you can fly
Because whatever they say, it’s your judgment that will lead the way
You are the carrier of our culture, the mother of our seeds
When we men fell, you were the ones who picked us back up
Your strength is powerful beyond measure
Let marriage be for later, for you have not yet explore the world
These are the times when younger yous need you the most
You were meant to play with the boys; they just never expect you to fly
What our parents said was the past and your present is your presence

To my young Hmong men
We are much more then our guns and knives
Be ourselves and never wear a disguise…
For these are times when we are needed most
Through our words of song we must play
Understand that we are not the same, but so alike in many ways
We must protect those who we love
When war broke out, our fathers stood tall and led the way
As in these days we must do the same
For our war is different, yet so very much the same
We were children, but as men we must put those childish things away
Our words can be so much more then profanity
When we speak, we should always leave it full, never empty
In these days we must stay strong
And for those who have done wrong, doesn’t represent us all

To my young Hmong men
We are much more then gangs and thugs
Always so quick to pull out guns without ever saying a word
…and you wonder why our voices go unheard
Why do we carry this hatred towards our own brothers?
I’ve heard too many stories of bodies sleeping on streets
Where we don’t even go to heaven because our brothers’ soul is with the reaper’s keep
Understand we aren’t strong and admit that we are weak
So when we carry on, we’re all in his heart for him to keep…
But that’s exactly why we’re strong; don’t be afraid to admit your faults
Against the ropes we stand, among all others we’re not the same
Kick up the dust; don’t be afraid to let things hit the fan
We’re together in this like a song without the band

To my Hmong…
We are the change that we seek
It’s not that our goals are too high and we will never meet
But that our goals are too low and it’s already been met
Our fathers told us not to daydream, shook our head, but only pain came
There are brothers and sisters that still reside in those refuge camps so far away
After so long…half way cross the world, we still seek refuge
Sometimes you have to get off the boat to walk on water
So as we look into the sky for brighter days
Know that each rainy day…rainbows are not too far away