Silence Is Not Always Golden: The Power of Spoken Words
by Joy Elan

Silence Is Not Always Golden: The Power of Spoken Words is a collection of poetry that is defying the norm. Written words have power because anyone can refer to them. However, spoken words are more powerful because the words are brought to life once they leave the body or a piece of paper. Instead of writing what people want to hear, I wrote what people need to hear. The truth! Sometimes the truth can be beautiful and sometimes it can be ugly. My words and my voice are my weapons and I have to speak up on my beliefs. Other people may not feel as powerful to speak up so I speak up for them. I could not sit there and not say anything. I was taught that you cannot do what everyone else wants; you have to do what YOU want. To be YOU is as original as there can be and people will try to put you down because you are different. I say try because only YOU can let them. My words are my way of fulfilling my purpose because I am making my dream a reality and I am showing you that you can do the same. This edition is slightly different from Silence Is Not Always Golden: A Poetic Revolution because there are clean versions of the poems and a few new poems that were written after I published it.

Institutional Freedom

I’m a prisoner of an institution
Not the prison system
But institution of higher learning
They got me tied down and bound
I can’t be free
They keep coming after me financially
Even with the degrees
Jobs and businesses don’t take me seriously
They look at my resume
And toss it to the side
You could’ve sworn that they
Saw that I went to San Quentin or some penitentiary
They saw two rival prestigious universities
And they asked me, “Who do you represent?”
I didn’t go to them schools for the sports
You act like I’m in a gang and I have to claim turf
I proudly wear my school shirts
But I might as well be wearing
Prison identification numbers
In actuality, I’m in the same boat
As the person that went to prison
Thing is, they’ll pick them before me
Just because they can pay them way less
How is it that I’m competing for the same jobs
With ex-cons and I was told that my education is the key
Key to what?!
Being treated like I did something wrong
Yeah, I peeped that I was the bottom 1% at them schools
Only 20-50 of us graduating out of a couple of thousands?
Now these jobs looking at me like I didn’t earn my papers
Like the schools were doing me a favor letting me graduate
They’re working together to keep me tied down and bound
That’s what they are: institutions
Keeping me a prisoner in another form
They don’t have control over my mind
I’m Andy Dufresne
Slowly chipping away at the wall
If it takes me 5, 10, 20 years to get out
So be it!
They don’t know that I have a plan
Not to be a prisoner of a company
Nobody’s gonna be telling me when to eat, sleep, work
They’ll keep transferring me from prison to prison
Until I’m old enough to collect social security
And all that hard work was just a waste of my life
When I’m out, I’m gonna be so long gone
And chilling with hella paper
I’m young enough to break free
And do as I please!

*Reference from Shawshank Redemption