Intro
(Spoken over a sparse hi-hat and low sub)
Lost nights, loud thoughts, quiet roads — we move.
Verse 1
lost no destination
Cap tucked in my backpack, skyline's a distant nation,
Gravel under soles, late-night study sessions, dedication,
Polaroid memories of home, our yard, conversation.
I count the years — textbooks stacked, papers in rotation,
Every lecture burned into me like a whispered invocation.
I taste the dust and future both, a dual sensation,
Roots run deep on this soil, reservation's foundation.
Pre-Chorus
Medication steadying the tremor of late-night wonder,
A lifeline or a lens — I name it so I don't go under.
Graduation on the horizon — gown, tassel, thunder,
All I have and love, I hold them close, I keep them under cover.
Chorus (Hook)
No map, no finish — still I rise (I rise)
No map, no finish — still I rise (I rise)
From dusty caps to neon lights, I claim my prize
No map, no finish — still I rise.
Verse 2
Caps fly like birds over fields where we learned to speak slow,
Ceremonies under winter sun, breath foggin' the glow.
I remember nights with pharmacy bottles on the counter,
Not the villain, but a tool — to steady heartbeats while I mount her
Dreams that live past the headlines, past the quota and the numbers,
Hustle quiet, study louder, turn the noise into a thunder.
Family faces in the crowd, proud like weathered banners,
I rap to them in every line, my life — the manuscript I anchor.
Chorus (Hook)
No map, no finish — still I rise (still I rise)
No map, no finish — still I rise (still I rise)
From gravel streets to stage lights, we synthesize
No map, no finish — still I rise.
Bridge
Taste of frybread and midnight ramen, laughter in the kitchen,
Old songs on the radio, auntie's voice — the true ignition.
Segregation's shadow long, but light threads through the stitching,
I give thanks for presence — every hand that held me, every position.
Verse 3 (Ride the beat, more confident)
Graduation photos: creased, posted on the fridge like scripture,
Each step a small revolt against the cold structural picture.
I trade anxiety for cadence, syllables as my cure,
Internal rhymes build bridges, heart to future's door.
This is gratitude in motion — not a line, but a scripture,
All I have and love, each gift a sacred fixture.
Final Chorus
No map, no finish — still I rise (we rise)
No map, no finish — still I rise (we rise)
From reservation roads to auditorium skies
No map, no finish — still I rise.
Outro (soft, intimate)
I speak this for the nights I trembled, for the mornings I fought,
For the medicine that steadied me, and the lessons that it bought.
For every mentor, every sibling, every quiet guiding light,
I move forward with gratitude — I keep the future in my sight.
no destination medication so much school just for graduation on this reservation with All I have and love show my appreciation I'm grateful of your presence beyond these light and dark moments of segregation
