The Rose That Grew From Concrete

By Tupac Shakur

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature’s law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.

This poem hits different some 25 years after his death. The defiance is the same, but social changes give it a new perspective.

What does it bring to mind for you when you read it?

Have you read Tupac's book of poems or used them in your teaching?

Shakur, Tupac. The Rose That Grew from Concrete. New York: Pocket Books, 1999.