Growing Up Gay

Fall never tasted good
Bitter in a cold mouth
Lies your third grade best friend told
You didn't understand yet

Why you were different
Never right
Always alone
To boys you were
Icky because you were a girl
To girls you were a tomboy
Who couldn't play with Barbies

Growing up alone
Twelve took a piece of you
Thirteen pushed you away
Fourteen found you
With a boyfriend
And a crush on a girl

You finally knew
Why "tomboy" was never good enough
And you used to kiss Girl Scouts

Years walk away from you
Everybody knows
A teacher says she's proud of you
Seventeen
Finally grown
Too sure of who you are

You never listen to those
Who tell you
Just how wrong you are
You've learned to be proud
Of the fact
That you survived
Growing up gay.