Speak For Yourself, Or Someone Else Will

I have learned to speak because if you are quiet if you try the back road then someone tries to speak for you and drive with no input from you If you do not speak for yourself then someone speaks for you they make you funny and clever or bitter and mean if you do not open your mouth if you do not move your body someone interprets for you and they do not say what you do they do not say what you think they say what they see and if you do not speak if you do not correct them you do no service to yourself but when you do speak beware if you raise your voice to loud if you too try to speak for those who fall silent your voice with be lost in the clamor and hustle I have learned to speak and I speak for myself not for my family not for my friends I speak for myself I speak for my mind If I stay quiet the assumptions don't fade instead they become an image of me that I did not endorse that I did not hold the brush for I stand up and speak and I speak for myself Because only I can speak and interpret for me