Conflict

7/11/06

I WILL NOT—

Let YOU—

Tell me who I am,

Dictate what I am.

Words flow,

Mind frees…

Yelling the words

Of my soul.

I will stand

My ground—

I will be

Unshakeable, Unmoving, Un—

Turning my head

As more attack—

No one, not one of them,

Care about what I’m trying

To say

To make their lives better, sweeter, more joyful.

NO! I will NOT

Allow

Myself to be broken down again

By your incessant voices,

Never ending thoughts

Streaming out of hate-filled

Mouths and brains.

Can’t they see

That they’re wrong?

Can’t they see the

Error of their ways?

Can’t they see

I’m just trying to

Be me?

I can’t

I won’t—

I will NOT ALLOW

Me, and my people

To be broken in this way,

To be degraded to the point of

Non-existence.

I can not stand to see

Myself,

What I am—

Be torn at,

See myself be

Burned at the stake for my beliefs.

They’re not listening—

Why, why do I have to care?

Why do I worry about

Being true to myself and others

Just. like. me?

Why do I have to proclaim

What I am in front of all these

Strangers?

Why can’t I just hide

And pretend that I’m

Like everyone else?

No—

No matter what happens—

I have to be here—

Have to stand here—

Have to be visible,

So you all can see…

I am NOT a freak

I am NOT abnormal.

I am what I am—

Just as you are being

Who you are.

I can not change—

I do not wish to change.

But still, you try with all your

Might

To force me and my people

Into assimilation—

Into what you believe

Is right and just and good—

Normal.

But all I, we—

Want is equality.

All we want to do is to be treated

Like everyone else.

With dignity and respect and love

And compassion and consideration—

Because we are people and we do care

When you call us names behind our backs

And we do care when you deny us what is

Rightfully ours.

I drown, I can’t do this—

I’m not supposed to be the one,

Can’t someone else do it?

So, I beg of you—

Let us go,

Let us live—

For we are all equals

In this world of ours.

Will they listen? Will this fighting ever stop?

No one knows how to deal with this Conflict.