The Weight of Their Words

I try to keep up, but my true self is hidden

In a world full of secrets and lies.

I wonder why honesty felt so forbidden,

And why are there tears in my eyes?

When no one can see me, the salt water falls,

A chaos of feelings I can’t quite untangle.

I’m trying to scale all these memory walls,

While my past and my present still wrangle.

How can I heal when they stir up the dust?

When they speak of me right to my face?

They call me a name that I no longer trust,

Then expect me to stay in that place.

I offered them spirit, I offered them light,

But they met my concern with their rage.

They chose to be bitter, they chose to ignite,

Then, it turned me into a mage.

I hung up the phone just to set a clear line,

To show them that rudeness must end.

But they see a "temper" in every sign,

And refuse to see "brother" or "friend."

I know I was wrong in the days of the past,

Yet they clutch old grievances and won’t let me mend;

I’ll move forward toward peace unafraid.