Affirmation

Assata Shakur

I believe in living.

I believe in the spectrum

of Beta days and Gamma people.

I believe in sunshine.

In windmills and waterfalls,

tricycles and rocking chairs.

And I believe that seeds grow into sprouts.

And sprouts grow into trees.

I believe in the magic of the hands.

And in the wisdom of the eyes.

I believe in rain and tears.

And in the blood of infinity.

I believe in life.

And I have seen the death parade

march through the torso of the earth,

sculpting mud bodies in its path.

I have seen the destruction of the daylight,

and seen bloodthirsty maggots

prayed to and saluted.

I have seen the kind become the blind

and the blind become the bind

in one easy lesson.

I have walked on cut glass.

I have eaten crow and blunder bread

and breathed the stench of indifference.

I have been locked by the lawless.

Handcuffed by the haters.

Gagged by the greedy.

And, if I know anything at all,

It’s that a wall is just a wall

and nothing more at all.

It can be broken down.

I believe in living.

I believe in birth.

I believe in the sweat of love

and in the fire of truth.

And I believe that a lost ship,

steered by tired, seasick sailors,

can still be guided home

to port.

Editorial Note

We are honored to share “Affirmation” by Assata Shakur, first published in Assata: An Autobiography (Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 1987/2001). This poem is reprinted here for educational and cultural purposes, to highlight its enduring resonance and inspiration. All rights remain with the original author and publisher.

Assata Shakur (Joanne Chesimard, 1947–2025) was an activist, poet, and writer. Exiled in Cuba, she became a voice of resilience and freedom, best known for her memoir Assata: An Autobiography (1987). She passed away in Havana in September 2025, leaving a lasting legacy of resistance and hope.