1-10 I begin my life stumbling to the beat of my parent’s drum

I adhere to the rules imparted upon me

And respectfully follow them

When to sleep, where to eat, how to act

These mysteries are already solved without any contribution on my part

Whatever it takes to make them happy, I do

Without question they have all the answers

I became the studious, obedient child

I am motivated by my family’s will

And follow their way

11-15 I begin to want to be noticed by my fellow peers

Moving from school to school

It was a coin toss

Maybe I might have friends in this class, maybe I won’t

I notice how they view others

Who’s cool, who’s lame, who’s weird, and who’s not

How to fit into their world

I became the awkward, goofy child

I am motivated by my peer’s judgments

And follow their trends

16-19 I begin to realize my sexuality

It ignores my family’s will and goes against their way

For fear of judgment my peers never know

Even if it may be the current trend

With nothing to guide me

I was a lost cause

Lost in sin

Lost in lust

Lost in my own convictions

In a period of self-discovery I sought refuge in the solace of my room

I searched for something to follow

I searched within the crisp pages of the bible

I searched the internet for help

I searched and searched and searched until my eyes landed on the mirror

And I finally stopped searching

All the time spent searching and I failed to see what was right in front of me

Each day I got dressed to become the studious, obedient child

Each day I got prepared to become the awkward, goofy child

In the mirror I saw my immaturity

I detected my insecurities

I recognized my need to please others

That day I decided to shatter those images in the mirror and focus on myself

I focused on my independence

I focused on my uniqueness

And I focused on my goals

I focused on who I was and who I wanted to be

I became the strong-willed, confident adult

I am motivated by my pursuit of happiness

And I follow my own heart