I lived with fear for so long the only word I had was "too much" It sat in my chest like a warning sign made small things feel like too much I was scared of nearly everything starting with the part I couldn't name I knew there was a mismatch in me the mirror and my insides didn't frame Back then nobody talked about it or they turned it into a punchline So I held my breath and let their laughter blur the edges of my mind I was afraid to be seen afraid to say, "This is me" But the silence hurt more than the truth so I stepped out shaking, still breathing I was afraid to be seen but I was tired of disappearing Now I'm here, in my own skin and I won't keep apologizing When I tried to tell them the first time they looked right through the words I said Like I hadn't spoken at all like the room had already gone dead At the time they called it sickness like I was something broken to fix Bullying, isolation, the whole slow burn I was barely hanging on through it Then twenty more years kept moving and I kept carrying that weight The fear never really let up just got harder to hide each day I was afraid to be seen afraid to say, "This is me" But the silence hurt more than the truth so I stepped out shaking, still breathing I was afraid to be seen but I was tired of disappearing Now I'm here, in my own skin and I won't keep apologizing Some things got better we learned new words, found new care But the world found new ways to point and stare Now they use our names like tools for their own game Politicians, preachers, all that noise trying to turn fear into fame I was afraid to be seen afraid to say, "This is me" But I chose the pain of honesty over a life I couldn't keep living I was afraid to be seen now I'm done with disappearing If they want to make us the target we'll still stand here, shining Having lived in fear so long I'm learning how to belong
