They Said

“Don’t cry,” they said

as the tears that filled my eyes

took turns sledding down my cheek

because every person would make fun of my size,

and the color of my hair and whether or not my eyebrows are on “fleek”

“Be exactly as society tells you to be” they said

as I try to rebel against the social norms

doing everything to hold me back from who I was truly meant to be,

everyone just wanted me to to conform

into the person they want to see

“Men are the only strong ones” they said

but this time I didn’t believe them

because I knew only lies were spewing from their lips

and that they faced a conundrum

that was about to be part of their eclipse

“You can’t look like that, no one else does” they said

as my curves peaked out of the side of my jeans

and my man like arms erupt from the shirt's seams

They said, they said, they said

stories as their words seeped deep into my head

ruining how I really thought I was suppose to be

hell you might have left me for dead

except I started to be me