I have been beaten and shamed

My heart has broken, my mind has fallen apart

But surrounded by my struggles

I’m still standing.

 

I have wept from misunderstanding

Wondering why an “inclusive” nation could be so cruel

Denying me and others like me basic human rights

But the deafening shouts of slurs bounce off me like rain on a tin roof and

I’m still standing.

 

I have bled for my mistakes

Judgements passed on myself by myself

Leave me with a hundred scars from a hundred pins ripping at skin for its imperfections

But at the end of a dark tunnel you’ll find me; through it all

I’m still standing.

 

I have been shunned for unorthodox beliefs

The Christians preach love, but do not love gays or let gays love

The gays preach acceptance, but do not accept that you can love God and your girlfriend

But while the most important parts of me are at war

I’m still standing.

 

I ache from an endless darkness

An umbrella follows me and blocks out the sun

Even when I am with loved ones, I am encased in ice and cold stone

But you’ll find that in spite of fake smiles

I’m still standing.

 

I yearn for a change

My heart knows that things don’t happen overnight

But as I wait in quiet isolation

I am still standing.