Before I Was 12

Before I was 12 I listened,

And believed my parents' words

I looked at them, and thought,

"Smartest people I've ever heard"

Before I was 12 I was biased,

I believed in a giant lie

I argued against changing my mind,

I fought others and made them cry

Before I was 12 I was sheltered,

I didn't know the outside world,

This was partly my fault,

I thought I'd be forever a little girl

Before I was 12 I was uninformed,

Of what reality could be

Now that I'm older I realize,

That I owe an apology

When I was 12 I found out,

About the violence in life

It felt like I was sinking,

Like I was run through with a knife

When I was 12 I changed,

My old opinions went out the door

I battled my own bigotry,

I told myself: "No more."

When I was 13 I grappled,

With my own sense of self

I wondered if my past would matter,

And if I could even help

When I was 14 I decided,

I would fight for the other side

That was the day I felt

My actions could shift a tide

Now I'm 15 years and counting

I'm more open and wiser too

I'll continue to grow and change

But I feel proud of what I can do