You don’t know me,

I’m nobody,

but

I could have been somebody.

I wanted to learn,

get an education;

become somebody.

That wasn’t happening in my school.

Teacher didn’t care,

books were old and worn.

No one wanted to know me;

my clothes were hand-me-downs,

sneakers had holes in the soles.

My lunch

was tuna and crackers

every day.

I had a name,

but no one cared,

Fish boy,

Tuna Kid,

and Wishy Fishy

were everyday taunts.

People crossed the street

when they saw me coming

or held their bags tighter.

I’m no thief

or bad person;

does my family

have to be like yours?

I stood in line

with my family

for the government handout;

cheese, pork, peanut butter, bread.

I live a distinctive life,

shopping in Goodwill and thrift stores

for my school clothes.

Public housing,

some places are torn without a care,

trash, and gangs

ready to beat you up for trying to get out.

You don’t know me,

but I know myself.

I have a family;

they worked hard,

scraped and saved.

I was the youngest

of five kids.

Despite the hardships,

the way people treated me.

I learned respect

for myself first

than others.

I grew up

with a base education,

through all the shunning and adversity

I have become a successful businessman.

You don’t know me;

I’m just another black man in the crowd.