I once asked a girl why she wore a cross

She said that wearing it made her feel safe

Closer to God

I didn't share my friend's beliefs

But in my own way, I knew God

I bought my own symbol, on a silver chain

But when I paid and left the store

I never knew how much power it contained

Not always for blessings and safety

The symbol stared people in the faces

And forced them

To think outside the box

It was a new symbol in a sea of crosses

Charcoal in a snowstorm

And suddenly they couldn't deal

I became a different person

A girl who once called me a goody-two shoes

Called me evil

A boy who earned straight Ds

Decided I was stupid

Acted like he knew me

And what was going through my mind

The symbol wasn't picky with its targets

It struck the religious and Atheist alike

Changing their perception of me

A pendant no larger than a quarter

Transformed me into someone else

The girl who loved my debate speech

Didn't listen to my side

Couldn't believe that I believed in god

But used a different name

Somehow now I've tamed my pendant

Even when I leave it home

It has still made me over, head to toe

Left a mark I won't erase

But my symbol doesn't fight

It stays exactly where I leave it

Around my neck each day

Perhaps my image changed

But my loyal friends knew

That I hadn't "given up" on faith

That I had found something to believe

And only wanted to express that

In a way, my symbol did protect me

From lying to my friends

And it brought me closer to my God

When I finally admitted my faith