Give Me One Reason: An Erasure Poem for Survival

By Javan Howard

Give me one reason to stay here

And I’ll turn right back around
Said I don’t want to leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind

Baby I got your number, oh, and I know that you got mine
You know that I called you, I called too many times
You can call me baby, you can call me anytime
You got to call me

Give me one reason to stay here
And I’ll turn right back around
Give me one reason to stay here
And I’ll turn right back around
Said I don’t want leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind

I don’t want no one to squeeze me, they might take away my life
I don’t want no one to squeeze me, they might take away my life
I just want someone to hold me, oh, and rock me through the night

This youthful heart can love you, yes, and give you what you need
I said, This youthful heart can love you, oh, and give you what you need
But I’m too old to go chasing you around
Wasting my precious energy

Give me one reason to stay here
Yes and I’ll turn right back around
give me one reason to stay here
Ooh and I’ll turn right back around
Said I don’t want leave you lonely
You got to make me change my mind

Baby just give me one reason, Give me just one reason why
Baby just give me one reason, Give me just one reason why I should stay

_{Tracy Chapman– Give Me One Reason (New Beginning, 1995)}

Javan Howard is a poet and writer from The Bronx, NY. He truly believes that the lived experience is the ultimate teaching tool and uses poetry as a social forum to foster discourse about love, culture, and identity. He has previously facilitated workshops across NYC with The New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Voices UnBroken, 92nd Street Y, and Teachers & Writers Collaborative. He is also the TAP Co-Director for Curricula, Mentorship & Facilitation at Community Word Project and the education director at and Usdan Summer Camp For The Arts. Howard’s work has recently been featured in The Broken Plate, great weather for MEDIA, The Watershed Review, River Mouth Review and The Minnesota Review. He is a recipient of the 2022 Aspen Words Fellowship.

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