Raise my glass to all the ones before me
How they paved a way
Swear to do my best to break the circles
Free us from all the weight we've been carrying
For generations
It's not only me standing in front of you
Load of my family sits with me in the booth
When the melodies come and a vibe enters the room
I feel my mama's glance saying" I'm proud of you"
The house she's living in is growing taller every day
Just like she's growing smaller, I see it in her face
But she is one of the strongest, one of the bravest
Had me in her belly when she crossed that ocean
And made sure we had a safe haven
Made sure we had a paved way
When that was nothing that she ever had for herself
Raising three kids on her own
She took a job and a step back
Pressed pause on things that could've been
Ignored the past and how I wish she didn't
But she made way so that we could soar to heights
That make her dizzy
I look at her gratefully
Raise my glass to all the ones before me
How they paved a way
I swear to do my best to break the circles
Free us from all the weight we've been carrying
For generations
Draw a map of the world
Trace the lines
Clay and blue, there's green in between
Things coming together finally
Like two trains colliding on full speed
Packed with history, culture, grief
I awake sometimes from my ancestors screams
Surely of joy but who knows what did they see
With their eyes - I have my grandma's
Her hands, her walk
And I didn't even know her at all
But it shows that loneliness is a concept to abandon
I might not always like it but every time I laugh
My father's features speak right through me
And I'm happy to be the joy that he could never feel
Proud to pass it on to the next one
I look at himgratefully
