They tell me it’s good to be different. 

Embrace your differences! 

No one will bully you for it.

No one will shun you. 

Thats what they told me. 

And then I realized the truth. 

They lied to me (as usual) 

about it. 

Because the world is a dark, cruel place.

And to survive you have to be cruel. 

To make it,

you have to fit in. 

To fit in, 

you have to be fake.

And for women, it’s worse.

Wear makeup or you look horrible.

You wear makeup?

Wow, you must be ugly. 

Wear crop tops and short shorts. 

You don’t? What’s your deal?

You do? What a slut.

You have to flirt. 

Be pretty. 

Suck up to boys. 

Have a boyfriend. 

Giggle at them. 

God forbid anyone be gay. 

Or of any other sexuality. 

No one is transgender. 

No one is non-binary. 

No. It has to be straight

and the gender you were born into. 

You have to love shopping

and paint your nails. 

Yeah, like no girl likes books 

and the library. 

Oh no! I like to write!

I’m smart! I don’t wear the clothes they do!

I don’t conform with them! I’m gay! 

And then I have to be silent. 

Silence is suffocating.

I can’t say anything. 

I can’t stick up for myself.

I can’t say what I want. 

And I can’t punch the bullies. 

That last one really gets me. 

No one expects a girl to fight as well as I do. 

But they’ll never know because I can’t show them. 

I can’t hurt the ones who caused so much pain. 

Because I am different. 

But being the young woman I am, 

you can’t keep me quiet for long. 

Even if I have to scream in words. 

Tell them what I think in poems. 

Write out my sadness. 

I will not be kept silent. 

I will fight back with my words

and fists if I have to. 

I dare you to say I have to do this and that because 

I’m a girl. 

Try me. I dare you.