I Thought I Had to Be Perfect

“I was born in a Refugee camp in hardship. From my birth up to now, all I know is hard work”

I thought that I should share a spoken word poetry I wrote and presented at my time in the Youth Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. Here it is:

I thought I had to be perfect

I knew I couldn’t but I tried to fake it

Because society was telling me that

I wouldn’t make it.

I said I have a dream to one day change the world

Watch me.

This is history in the making.

And this isn’t just my story, this is the story of hundreds,

Thousands, millions of young people, who feel like they are not perfect

Young people who were bullied who goes through depression,

Who were born in difficult circumstances

Young people — Black and White.

Young people who are like me and you.

Young people who despite what society tells them, looks society in the eye and say

Watch me.

This is history in the making

This isn’t just some fairy-tale motivation guys,

I was born in a refugee camp in hardship

From my birth up to now, all I know is hard work

When my family came to Australia on a refugee visa I couldn’t speak English,

Didn’t really fit in, and I got bullied

Then I started getting into trouble

Getting into fights it felt like the royal rumble

When I was in grade 10 I got expelled.

But it doesn’t matter what happened to me in the past

Because despite what society told me and what I went through, I still believed my dream was possible

I still looked society in the eye and said WATCH ME,

I’M THE ONE!!

This is history in the making.

Coming from a refugee camp to making it to the UN Headquarters,

This is history in the making

As I stand in front of you today, I’ll say this in the voice of every young people

WE KNOW WE ARE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE WILL SHOW THE WHOLE UNIVERSE WHY WE DESERVE IT.

This is history in the making.

Fred Duku Silver

Originally published at www.dukuinspires.com.

Originally published at medium.com