I could blend in.
In the background.
Up against the wall
Slip myself in between the paper and the plaster
Beside the tile lining the bottom of the wall next to the cabinet
And smile.

I could blend in.
Take that lower pay cut.
Make myself smaller
To match those optical illusions
In glossy photos
Near a cash register.

I could blend in.
Consider others controlling what I do with my body
As a moral necessity
And take crimes committed against me as
Collateral damage
To property.

I could blend in.
Seen, but not heard.
I can match with what’s expected.
Each breakup necessitating a reminder
“Don’t go turning into a lesbian now, you hear?”
“Evaluate a person by what’s in their pants or else my God will damn you.”

I could blend in.
My heart stabbing my insides as I’m ripped apart, reorganized,
Recreated to adapt to these standards, day by day
“Don’t cry. That’s weak.”
Begging for someone to understand-
“BE. QUIET.
No one wants to hear your grief.”

No.
This isn’t just my grief.
This cross I bear is carried by many.
This pain is felt by countless others
Waiting for it to get better
So that they can live.

My clothes do not depreciate my value
And are NOT an invitation to have my consent disregarded.
Who I like is not an indicator of my moral compass
NOR does it make me a menace OR a danger to society.

You have no right to tell me how to express myself,
To tell me that my love can only be recognized if it’s with certain people.
You have no right to control my body
And define for me what a violation to my temple is.

You can’t silence me because
Silence can’t cut it anymore.
There is no such thing as silence because when a person is silent
All they are doing is holding back the essence of their being
Waiting to burst out and shine forth
So that they can be themselves.

I am bursting at the seams because this silence will make me implode.
When I come out, don’t try to sew me back into my skin
And bind my lips together.

You can’t pick and choose who you think deserve to be treated like a person.
Who deserves to have the right to control their own body.
Who deserves to have love recognized
Who deserves access to certain areas
Who deserves to have their thoughts, their intelligence,
Their personhood, their language, their cultures, their beliefs,
Accepted.

Living in a world whose movements for equal rights
Excludes that from others
Will not be taken in silence anymore.
Excluding love
Acceptance
Equality
Recognition of diversity
In our lives
In our curriculums
In our politics
In our world.

You tell me to be quiet?
Put yourselves in their shoes and ask yourself if
It is a measure of good health to be well adjusted to a sick society.