Empowering Vocals | Engaging Stories | Igniting YOUR Possibilities

Music

Theater | Spoken Word

Writings
Spoken Word & Lyrics

IT'S RIGHT THERE

(SPOKEN WORD)

IT'S RIGHT THERE
In her head
But she's almost settled
in her thoughts
listening the voices that have fought
to keep her asleep
They whisper
play it safe play it safe play it safe
though her dreams wrestle to escape
her trance
She keeps them in check
positioned just under her breath
but their about to SCREAM!
Dare she speak them out loud
Oh how
the universe would conspire
to make them a reality
Because

IT"S RIGHT THERE
in her hands
though she's almost settled
in her seat
her hands just beneath
her thighs
In crippling comfort
She sits
on a wealth of talents unrealized
Because in truth it's cold sometimes
to put yourself out there
But Dare she get up, stand up and
set her hands free
giving and receiving with passion and intensity
Fanning the flame of all she was born to be
would transform her world
Oh I wish she'd look

 IT"S RIGHT THERE
in her heart
But she's almost settle
in her nerves
Never feeling the rush of excitement
That invites her each morning
to flow in the tempo
of expectation and joy
not just happiness from happenings
but joy deep down inside
Dare she find courage to try again
Her heart would beat in rhythm
to her life's true anthem
But wait,
maybe
I think she perceives

IT'S RIGHT THERE
in her Hope
Though she almost settled
for the statue quo
her dream just won't let go see see
her Hope is employing faith
If she pays
attention to faith
She'll stop denying, apologizing and sacrificing
the Power within
her head
her hand
her heart
to WIN!
'Cause it's not far once she beings
to wake up and declare
All she needs
It's right there

Written by Paula D. Ralph-Birkett
©2016 RaBirWriter Publishing

SOMETHING BETTER

Chorus
There's got to be something better this
there's got to be something
There's got to be something better this
there's got to be something
There's got to be something better this
Life's
Got to give something better than this

V1
Waiting for change
Life's gotten dusty cause she
Settled for safe
What she left on the shelf
dreams to change the world
she needs courage
to hold touch them again
knowing life is worth the risk

Chorus

V2
Weak from the pain
of putting her hopes hold she
reaches for change
when dust flies it's hard to see
faith to change the world
but if she fails
she'll try again    
knowing life is worth the risk

Chorus

Bridge
Dreams deferred make the heart sick
It's like dust from a life un-lived
It's not what you get but what you give
to light the spark
and fan the flames
to change the world
to change the world 

Chorus

Written by Paula D. Ralph-Birkett
©2012 RaBirWriter Publishing

I Choose To Live

V1
Left me alone to die
papers on the table
You gave no reason why
But like a tree is able
To bend in the wind
and not be moved

Chorus
I choose to live
Got to keep breathing
I choose to live
Left me in pieces
I choose to live
I may be bleeding but
I choose to live

 V2
You became my world
now my ground is sinking sand
it's either life or death
so I close my eyes, take a breath
and pray God please
let my roots grow deep cause

Chorus

Bridge
It may look I have died
when winter's done
the sun will bring
the spring
I let you go
So I can grow
Cause

Chorus

Written by Paula D. Ralph-Birkett
©2014 RaBirWriter Publishing

But I See

V1
Attitude
is all they can see
an angry mood
is all they can see
the role they make you wear
is desperate for repair

Cause in your heart
who can noticed
you're patching hole as you
as you come apart

Chorus
But I see
what they won't see
But I see
what they won't admit
Cause I know
under the disguise
you try to survive
this life
hiding yourself

V2
You fight to fit in
they ignore it
try to act like them
they abhor it
the character you play
is vanquished in the fray

Cause in your heart
it goes unnoticed
you're patching holes as you
as you coming apart

Chorus

Bridge:
In the mirror don't believe the lies
In the mirror don't see through their eyes
Cause if your sight
was filled with
the Light I provide
You might consider
when you hear Me whisper
I see I care

Chorus

Written by Paula D. Ralph-Birkett
©2014 RaBirWriter Publishing

Videos

Artist | Speaker | Storyteller

Artist, speaker, and storyteller Paula Ralph Birkett’s work is equal parts music, theater, and empowerment festival. Beginning her professional career in musical theater in the New York Tri-State area, Paula has toured as a featured vocalist with choral ensembles throughout Europe. She is the featured vocalist for progressive jazz group TB| Emancipation, and has played venues big and small including The Apollo Theater, The United Nations, and the WNYC Greene Space. As a playwright, Paula won the Howard Gilman Foundation Bronx Council on the Arts | Bronx Cultural Visions Fund award for her stage play Black American Working Woman, which had its Manhattan workshop at the Episcopal Actors’ Guild Theater in summer 2024.  Recently, she received a 2026 Support for Artists grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to support her creative work. Employing the arts as an envelope of illustration for her concept Perception to Decisions: How we see ourselves is how we will be ourselves, Paula has presented at several conferences including TEDx Deer Park. Join Paula as she continues to produce stories of trials and triumph, helping audiences imagine their path of possibilities.

JOIN!

Performances | Talks | Newsletter