Spoken word poem video feat lyrics

I'm not scared of concrete,
I'm not scared of jungles,
But the two put together,
Creates so much struggles.
Surviving this city,
In two thousand thirteen,
One degree is not enough,
You have to have three,
By the time you have three,
At the age of thirty,
You make thirty grand a month,
And spend thirteen on rent,
On a three hundred square feet apartment,
That resembles a Canadian basement.

Surviving this city,

In two thousand thirteen, 
There's always protests
There's always contests,
Not enough empathy,
not enough sympathy. 
So much tension,
But a lack of creation. 
Literature was long gone,
All we have are pop songs. 

Capitalism, consumerism,
Wrapped in Louis and Givenchy.
Laced with Mercedes and Audis,
Topped with a tint of greed. 

We wave no at charities that solicit monthly help,
Is it because we don't have enough wealth?
Fifty cents per bag as a wakeup call,
Something we should have known ever since we were small.

As a teacher I always bear in mind:
Always be gracious and always be kind!
Always be tenacious and never be blind...
That there are people around us who need tender love and care,
Not because they are pretty not because they are rare. 

I hate cliches but this I must say:
What defines us is not how much we have or save,
Its about what we offer and if we are brave,
Not how pretty we are, 
how many acquaintances we make.
Let's keep that in mind every step we take.

Surviving this city, 

In two thousand thirteen,

Its a treacherous road to write for a living,
But that will not stop me as much as giving...
Giving to charities giving my words...
Whatever form it takes its far from absurd.

Is Hong Kong the ideal place to reside?
Maybe yes maybe no,
Let's take time to decide.
However dear comrades let's not give in!
There must be more than this bubble we live in!
We are blessed with no terrorists
Nor natural disasters,
No wars no floods maybe just a blister. 
With passion and vision and a ton of conviction,
I'm sure we'll create a new Chinese sensation!
One we will be proud of and have our thumbs up.
I will stop rambling and now wrap it up. 
Will it be hard to survive this city?
I'm sure it will be,
But nothing should stop me, no one but me. 

Descending down the cobbled staircase in Soho one night,

Masquerades and drinks mock my maudlin sorrows under. 

Then I start to ask if I'm nebbish,

Am I doomed for life

Consolation in the form of beer is not what I asked for.

**I miss the graffiti down in Sauga, 

Miss how they seemed to understand me.

Here I am just another fellow clubber,

Who never seems to feel right.

And then I conjure up the greatest alley I've been before,

A place I can evade, 

A place I like to call Grace Alley.

I miss the mural that was painted outside my high school wall,

All the innocence, 

All the songs,

And all the laughter.

Now we're all grown up 

There are no more murals just cheap wine

Is it because its all washed up by reality

I paint my own mural with my two eyes,

See all the colors dance on the wall

Then I am drifted to my own paradise

You don't have to wake me. 

And then I conjure up the greatest alley I've been before,

A place I can embrace

A place I like to call Grace Alley.

*This is not a hallucination

I am just imaging

A mosaic sanctuary

I paint my own mural with my two eyes,

See all the colors dance on the wall

Then I am drifted to my own paradise

You don't have to wake me. 

And then I conjure up the greatest alley I've been before,

A place I can evade, a place I can embrace.

I go down the stairs and then stay grounded

Push out the dreams and say I'm alright 

Put on a smile and remind myself that tomorrow is a new day

The sun will come out

And I will stride these steps with full positivity

Steadfastly knowing I will always have Grace Alley

Wherever I go...