Daniel Shi Sydney Writers' Festival

Congratulations to Daniel Shi (Year 11) on his performance of his Real Talk slam poem last Saturday at the Sydney Writers’ Festival in Parramatta. Below is Daniel's powerful work. 

Me and you

Him and her

Us and them

We call ourselves the human race 

or should I say the human disgrace

We call ourselves humane 

but nowadays that seems kinda mundane

Now trust me I would love to say 

that everyone here loves everyone there 

But you'd say, hey, that's actually kinda gay

And if you think that every Asian is here to buy off our land

That every Muslim is here under Isis command 

And if you believe they deserve to be oppressed

All because of their race sex or religion

Then you are suffering

You are suffering from this serious case of xenophobia 

Because these days a fear of the unknown is a cornucopia

This disease that spreads like wildfire 

This indestructible plague that never seems to tire

Crossing the street is like crossing a wire

This is why such hate is so dire

You think every Asian is some dangerous immigrant 

Chances are they'll never be a social dissident 

You think every Muslim is a terrifying terrorist 

Chances are they're just your peaceful pacifist

This, hate, hurts

It hurts society

This damaged, broken, unstable society 

Completely devoid of propriety 

But in this society where hate is so rife 

There are those that believe that love is their life

In this land full of death and decay

Where every man every woman every child is prey

There is still love

Destroying hate

Hate, what is hate?

Hate is what is felt by those that lack the courage to love so let me tell each and every one of you today

Never 

Stop

Loving

This lack of love

Lack of empathy

Lack of humanity 

That's why we all suffer

Believe in your own ability to love 

And soon others around you will start to love

Now let me tell you

When I was eight years old I began to realise

That everything I believed in was shaped by what everyone else believed in

See now that was the first mistake I made

I let society tell me what to feel towards someone

I let society tell me how to act towards someone

I let society tell me what I should say to someone 

Now listen Choose your own path

Your life is your own don't let someone else spit on it

It is said that leadership is not a position rather it is action

Now listen, you hold the pen, the camera, the brush to your life

You are the author, the director, the artist of your life

Not anyone else

But You

That is the one thing we know 

Just as winter will come 

And autumn will go

That is the one thing we know

Don't spend your time hating 

Spend your time loving

Don't spend your time regretting

Spend your time satisfied knowing you've lived to your full potential

Embrace your existence

Don't waste it

Use every opportunity you get

To make yourself the better you

The you that you could never be

The you of tomorrow

See it's no more carpe diem

Seize the day

Now it's carpe vitam 

Seize the life