Rebel or Trouble

Rebel or Trouble

My tens in the 80’s, I can still hear New Edition’s “Cool It Now” on a hot summer night playing on my boom box, while sitting on my front porch hanging out with my friends, flirting with my teen crush.

The melodies of “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker makes me jitter as I sing along to the lyrics reminiscing about my first kiss with my first love, oh how I would lay in my bed and memorize every love song I recorded on my tape recorder off the radio, making my home made mixed tapes.

“Nite & Day” by Al B. Sure makes want to get flirtatious and I feel confident to get his attention wearing my favorite tight jeans.

My heart is broken and I’m angry, sad and depressed, my first love is gone and why me, “Can You Stand the Rain” by New Edition, that’s my jam, I keep rewinding it on my tape player and waiting to see the video on BET.

I’m coming into myself, I am a proud black woman, here I come world and I’m going to do it my way, it’s “My Prerogative: by Bobby Brown.

I’m striving for success, trying to get through high school, preparing for college and life experiences, I need strength can I be a “Super Woman; by Karyn White. Educating myself, finding myself and sometimes losing and retrieving myself.

Over my first love ready to explore some more, hey he’s cute let me “Love You Down” by Ready for the World because I’m “Looking for a New Love” by Jody Waltley. Feeling sexy, my feminists growing with passion and intelligence through wisdom as I advance from milestone to milestone.

I’m independent, what can you contribute to my life in order to get my time in other words “What have you done for me lately”, Janet, Miss Jackson if you nasty.

I think I’m in love, but do he feel the same, I’m gonna be with him no matter what, cause I’m “Saving all my love for you”, Whitney Houston. I don’t care if you think my love is wrong, if so my love will be a crime.

I’m coming into myself, I’m confident and proud, and I want to show my creativity to the world because you should “Express Yourself” like NWA. I want to rebel, go against society, shout and scream so you know I matter and that I am somebody.

“Rebel without a Pause” by Public Enemy reminds me of my heritage and how we fought against obstacles and rebelled against negativity and discrimination. I’m going to defy the norms and be extraordinary and defeat the impossible.

Walking with a new stride as I advance toward womanhood trying to shine because there “Ain’t No Half-Step-in” by Big Daddy Kane when I know “I Ain’t No Joke” blares out my stereo speakers by Eric B. and Rakim.

My strength as a young black woman vibrates and evolves, your words can’t hurt me because what you got to say to me is just “Paper Thin” by McLyte. Inevitably a woman I am and indeed “Ladies First” by Queen Latifah, but in the end I only had “Me, Myself and I”, De La Soul, and at the end of the day “Parents Just Don’t Understand”, Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince.

I remember needing inspiration and being inspired by the Winans Family. I draw my strength from GOD because I’m “Lost without You” for his mercy and glory endures forever. My inner voice tells me “You Will”, “Don’t Cry” and I am your “Bridge over Troubled Waters”.