The Building of Me

This tale is true, one I know all too well. A telling of how
Those cruel souls, stripped me of my pride,
Ravenously ripping my confidence down,
Introduced me to the pains of being different,
Etched eternally into my heart and mind. It speaks
Of intolerance while I battled the monster of darkness in my brain
Of the silent tears that crawled down my face
As it rearranged my heartening thoughts. My mind was cast
Into the monster’s lair, chained by verbal tools of others’ destruction,
Penetrating slurs, those daggers of hatred
Pierced their way into my heart. Loneliness clung
To the insides of my mind. No one free
From the destructive grip of discrimination could feel
This loathsome pain I felt, stumbling through the world
Far too fast for someone my age, grasping at chances to feel okay,
I felt alone in a place where diversity was a new meal at the table,
Waiting to be consumed. The bullies were persistent.
Those wielders of verbal agony remained,
Building on my thick skin. Delving deeper into my thoughts
Was my only saving grace, knowing that things would get better,
The thought that they’d get bored of destroying me,
Made my trying heart beat even stronger.
Changing myself seemed more and more unnecessary
Reinforced by the wave of disregard and pride
Differences are what make us beautifully unique
So pay no attention to the daggers they throw.