Homeland

When you look at me
Stop pitying me
Because you hear the one word
My homeland
My nationality
And suddenly
I am nothing?

Because if you knew, what I’d been through
You would want me to set an example for you.

You would see strength in me.
You would put your faith in me.
You would have never doubted me.
You would have listened to me.

Instead of ignoring me
Imploring me, to tell you of the sad little life I’ve had.
My life is hard, but Allah has blessed me, and it isn’t that bad.

My stature is short but my ambition is not
You have no idea of my battle, the people I’ve fought
To get to this place
To stand before you
To be up here on this stage spitting my rhymes for you

If I could go one introduction
Without the mentioning of the destruction
Within my country
People assuming my loving father regularly punched me
That there could ever be exceptions.
That maybe some people have some skewed misconceptions.

Of the oppression I face
No I am not speaking of an imaginary place
But you don’t even take the time to ask me
You don’t even try to understand
Because for me my country is the Promise Land

And I have faith in my fellow countrymen
That this is a land of potential
And destroying these stereotypes is essential

Afghanistan
Afghanistan
I wish you could see my homeland
Through my eyes
The beauty that raised me
The struggle that made me
Afghanistan
I praise thee.