- So our next performer,
He. (microphone echo reverberates)
(laughs) So our next performer, he loves to write.
He's one of my students, I'm really excited
to see him perform, who's a last minute addition
to the program, so I'm really, really excited.
His name is Mr. Daniel Aks, and he'll be doing a musical,
poetry kinda thing.
Alright, (clapping) give it up Mr. Daniel Aks.
(audience applauds)
(whispering)
- How's everyone doing? (audience cheers)
Alright, so this was last minute,
because I wasn't sure if I was gonna finish it by today,
but it's not as long as I'd hoped,
but it's good enough I think, so
hopefully everybody likes it.
Volume up a little.
Volume.
(soft instrumental music)
♪ Now I know I'm not the best but certainly not the worst ♪
♪ And for most of my life I wasn't puttin' myself first ♪
♪ Low self-esteem, tried to chase after dreams ♪
♪ But sometimes what you want ain't as good as it seems ♪
♪ And I know in the past that I made my mistakes ♪
♪ But I took the blame for everything from that I build hate ♪
♪ Man I love you to death, but how much can I take ♪
♪ When you invested everything into something that's fake ♪
♪ My strength gained and another lesson learned ♪
♪ Another person gone, more love letters burned ♪
♪ Broken hearted, heart so bombarded ♪
♪ Hit with lies, and I was your target ♪
♪ Never thought I'd be so deep in deception ♪
♪ Invaded my dreams, sorta kinda like inception ♪
♪ Full time liar, that was her profession ♪
♪ But she had a double job, she was still my obsession ♪
♪ Lookin' back when I couldn't even rap ♪
♪ When I couldn't even write, couldn't spit up on a mic ♪
♪ And all I ever had was a pen and a pad ♪
♪ And the blogs that wrote every time I was sad ♪
♪ And sometimes I look back to regret ♪
♪ Log on Xanga to gotta remember all of my regrets ♪
♪ And remember times when every single rhyme was ♪
♪ One of a kind from deep inside my mind, but I'm fine ♪
♪ I just wanna reminisce from my first hug to my first kiss ♪
♪ From my first friend to my last one ♪
♪ Of when I had some and when I had none ♪
♪ But from that, you know who was true ♪
♪ The ones by my side through the pain and stuck through ♪
♪ But that said, you could never be replaced ♪
♪ And your place in my heart can never be erased ♪
♪ But that's somethin' I could go and guarantee ♪
♪ Backed up by a lifetime warrantee ♪
♪ And lookin' back, if it wasn't for the pain ♪
♪ Never woulda appreciated the strength that I gained ♪
♪ Like you can't appreciate the sun if it never rained ♪
♪ And you can't ♪
♪ you say you faced the same pain that I've obtained ♪
♪ Through the years, the tears, the sweat and the blood ♪
♪ Found a diamond in the rough as I groveled in the mud ♪
♪ And that diamond was my best friend ♪
♪ But tragically, everything comes to an end ♪
♪ They say don't put all your fruit in one basket ♪
♪ At the time, the fact is, I couldn't grasp it ♪
♪ She was added to my life, I couldn't subtract it ♪
♪ Why give up somethin' precious that you know coulda lasted ♪
♪ But it's not a surprise that my love multiplied ♪
♪ But in the end it doesn't matter, we still had to divide ♪
♪ If there's somethin' I couldn't provide ♪
♪ Even though I tried to make us survive, even with the lies ♪
♪ I'm at the point where it's just me and myself ♪
♪ Where I'm the only one that I could rely on for help ♪
♪ So why do I stay stubborn or make a decision ♪
♪ Just to widen my vision so I could (sighs) ♪
♪ All I know is it's true, the words of the wise, ♪
♪ Life is hard, but only the strongest survive. ♪
(audience cheers and applauds)