Three powerful words
I stand trembling.
I step into the lions’ den.
I open my mouth to utter three small words
They won’t come out.
I’m terrified.
But I’ve got more anger than terror.
I’ve been hurt one too many times to stop now.
I’m over trying to wait it out.
I’ve been battered by a sea of hatred and sickly-sweet fake smiles
Smiles meant to show the outcasts that they’re happy
They think they are too,
But churches built inside the mind and dedicated to happiness will eventually crumble
Around me, people pretend to happy, patch up the cracks of their smiling church
It’ll be too late soon for some of them
It’s too late for me.
The dragon inside me wants out of the crumbling smiling monument.
I’ve had enough.
I step into the lions’ den.
I open my mouth to utter three powerful words,
I
Don’t
Believe
I stand outside again, still terrified
When the time comes, I utter the next three powerful words
I
Am
Gay
My terror falls away as I’m not cast out
Not fed to the lions for waving a rainbow banner
I offer a bit of trust when the hand held out to me doesn’t falter
Everything is alright
I’ll still be safe to enter the lions’ den to utter my next three powerful words,
Whatever they are