Overcoming Restrictions – Inspired by Tupac’s ‘The Rose That Grew From Concrete’

By Julissa Ozuna

No matter the obstacle, if you believe in yourself and focus on where you want to be, you will be the rose that overcame all odds.

Did you hear about the rose that grew from concrete
The one that overcame all of nature’s restrictions
The same rose, everyone admires
But deep inside, everyone wants to see it fail
The one that was already judged without knowing how to say a word
The one that was born into a world with low expectations for it
Who cares if this rose turns out to be another statistic
What makes this rose so special

This rose is trying to exceed all those expectations
With the whole world waiting for it to fall back into those cracks
But, it won’t fall back into the rough, ugly place it grew out of
It will continue rising because it’s not done growing

The rose that grew from concrete,
The one that was planted in a rugged area
Pushed, tossed and thrown through the gust of the wind
Here grew one of nature’s beauties
Overcoming all odds, this rose began to flourish
Its bright red petals shine against the dull grey earth
Forcing citizens from far and wide to stop and stare
“Why isn’t this the most charming rose out there”

Performance

Process

This poem is a piece I believe could impact someone’s life. After hearing Tupac’s poem, “The Rose That Grew From Concrete,” I was inspired to use his poem as a blueprint for what I wanted to convey but from a different perspective: a young female from the South Bronx. After several revisions, I wrote “Overcoming Restrictions” for anyone who feels that they are stuck in the position they are currently in. There is always room to grow and change.