Born,
I was born different
I was born to stand out
Compared,
“Why can’t you be like Them?”
Being unique was no longer a favored trait
Alone,
There could be twenty people in the room
And I was still on my own
Frightened,
I had a feeling this was part of my future
I did not want to face what was to come
Tortured,
Why was I chosen to have this happen?
They didn’t know the damage They were creating
Abused,
Bruises, scars, wounds
Marked the battle that was about to brew
Silenced,
My voice was blind to the ears
I’m screaming my heart out but no one seems to hear
Blamed,
“Maybe if you weren’t different, this wouldn’t happen”
“You’re basically the cause of this problem”
Doubted,
“Honey, that’s crazy talk”
“All people are good”
Dehumanized,
My feelings were not a thought
I was a slave; no feelings, not a concern
Challenged,
They knew I was helpless
And they dared me to fight back
Threatened,
“If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you”
“Your life will be over if you expose us”
Realized,
I realized my life wasn’t meant to be this way
I knew something had to be done; and it was going to be done
Declared,
I stated my rights as a human
Being taken advantage of WAS NOT OKAY
Testified,
Against Them, against the bystanders, against everyone
It was time I took a stand

Gained,
I gained respect
I got what I deserved
Respected,
People looked up to me
“You’re a role model for the world to see”
Publicized,
My story, my life was all over the news
I was famous for standing up for my freedom
Changed,
I changed for the better
I vowed that I would never allow myself to be taken advantage of
Survived,
I survived my biggest fear
The monster in my closet feared who I became

I used to spend hours on tears,
But those tears turned into courage,
And now I hold my head up high