Spoken word: Maybe the grass isn't greener on the other side

This is part two in the three-part series Tough Truths by Halifax spoken-word artist Kanaar Bell. Kanaar says there's a key message behind these videos: "You're not going through these growing pains of 2020 alone."

Written and performed by Kanaar Bell for CBC. 
Video produced by Nic Takushi for CBC. 

Kanaar says, in part:

You'll spend a lifetime running away,
Only in the end,
To wanna come back home.

To fulfil your need for an inner sanctuary,
And learn to grow a garden of your own.
To have your favourite spots in the neighbourhood,
Watch local entrepreneurs,
Scale their businesses.

Spend an afternoon over at Granny's place,
And make a spectacle out of the Christmas lights.

Yeah,
That's my type of medicine.

Kanaar Bell is a second-generation Canadian who moved to Halifax from Ontario to play varsity football at Saint Mary's University. Bell's a social connector, public speaker and facilitator. He's committed to community engagement work and runs educational workshops at schools. By day, he's a digital account co-ordinator at a marketing firm.

Nic Takushi was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, but fell in love with Nova Scotia as a high school exchange student in 2011. Takushi studied commerce at Saint Mary's University and took an interest in entrepreneurship, marketing and media. He now works as a web producer for a marketing agency in Halifax. 

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.