Through a Different Lens

Every night I look, I wish upon a star
Thinking, praying, hoping that one day I make it far
Start a fam, get a job, but I'm stuck with these scars
And I hope you hear my cries, behind these hidden bars

That hold me back, even though I paid my dues and put my life on pause
Yeah I know, I have a past, had my troubles with the law
Yeah I lost my freedom, family and loved ones too
I've repented and I'm free but this is Prison number 2

They see my scars, see my past, and won't give me a chance
Got no home, got no love, tell me, how I'm gon' last?
The last thing I wanna do is to end up back in the system
But it's crazy out here just check the rate of recidivism

I don't wanna be a number, part of a statistic
Won't be defined by my past, even though I was a misfit
So I'm gonna keep my head up, gonna look for a job
They're looking for an assistant at this retail clothing shop

Okay, I told myself it's a new day
So I went home and prepared my resume
But then they asked 'bout my criminal history
So I replied, then they said "have a nice day"

Okay... but what does that mean though?
Overthinking what I said, did I say something wrong?
So I left, checked my phone, praying for a breakthrough
Walking back and forth, but I just don't know what to do

So I called, no response, swear I've been waiting so long, hoping my hope won't get gone
Brother, tell me, what went wrong?

What did I do? what did I do?
What was my biggest sin, bruh?
I have no clue

Guilty of my crimes, so I paid my time
Now I'm finally out, guess I'm guilty for trying
Right?
Salt on a wound, yeah, it stings, I know
And I know that if I try hard, I will outgrow

The vice and the tendencies of who I once was
I'll put my lessons in words, maybe I'll write a memoir
So my fellow brothers and sisters will know they're not alone
In a country of their own that they can't call home

Convict, sinner, offender, prisoner
Dehumanise me, try but I won't let you
Son and father, daughter, mother
We all mean something, just lemme show you

You and I, we ain't too different, we just made other decisions
You climbed up the schooling ladder, me? I was schooling in prison
That don't mean I got no feelings, that don't mean that I'm not human
That don't mean that I'm not worthy, just gotta quit the assuming

Stop looking at my past, man, I'm not the same
The only thing I still carry with me is my name
And I'm not ashamed to carry it with pride
'Cos I've changed and I'll show you, just give me time

I don't care 'bout the drip, or a condo, or a Benz
I just want you all to see me, through a different lens
We need family, we need love, we need shelter, we need friends
Most of all, we plead for you to see us through a different lens

I don't care 'bout the drip, or a condo, or a Benz
I just want you all to see me, through a different lens
We need family, we need love, we need shelter, we need friends
Most of all, we plead for you to see us through a different lens