I know what I am
They see pathetic mess of weakness and faults
A broken woman with bruise instead of a personality
One of the many lost to a war between hell and earth
As if all I am is a survivor
They see someone they claim is strong
And powerful and unable to be fixed
Because scar can never heal, right
They see a headline
A political message
A slogan to put on the front of billboard
To plaster on plastic band
on t-shirt, on protest signs, on petitions to the government
Because people like me
We are told we are broken
As people stand up to support us
To pat us on the head
To stand on a soapbox so they might speak down to me
Because they think they are saying good things
But what they say is that I am broken
I am too far outside the norm to be salvaged
What they say is that I am defined by weakness
Just a mass of scar tissue and rubbish
But that’s just what they think
I am someone who is whole
Who has weakness
And who has strength
Who has determination and fear and courage
And learn her work ethic from an anime about satan working a mcdonald
I am so completely human
So unique and distinct
Just like everyone else
Because I know everyone is in shambles
Everyone has a backstory of horrors
Everyone shows the best and worst of humanity
Regret marks the line between sinners and saints
And we can never tell one which side of the line we fall
I know what I am