I Learned

“We don’t care what people say, we know the truth.”

A woman screamed this in my ears once, twice,

As many times as I asked her to.

She was hell bent, jagged, honest.

I could trust her more than others, because she was not afraid of hurting me

In fact, she promised she would.

She taught me how to choose.

I chose to fail in the face of power.

I did not want the impressive to think I needed them.

I chose to cry in front of a child.

I did not want her to think I was perfect.

I chose to sing in a graveyard.

I did not want the dead to be lonely.

I took my top off in a church.

I did not want man to think he owned me,

For I know that God is as comfortable with my skin as I am.

My father looked at the ink on my skin and sighed

“why would you do that to your body? At least it’s feminine.”

He is written in stone, hardened, worried.

I could argue with him as if he were my enemy, because he was not afraid to play the part.

He taught me how to hear.

I heard power.

In the tears of a girl with scares on her arm

Who said she was scared and done with these demons.

I heard fear.

In the voice of a girl who told me she loved me, because I was going to hurt her.

I heard sacrifice.

When my mother said she had to stay late at work again.

I heard love.

In the silence when I prayed.

Thank you to these souls. You’ve taught me well. I choose my life, I hear your wisdom, and it has given me freedom.

Perhaps I can be the girl with wings.