We were hurt once
and then they told us
that the pain that
settled over our shoulders
weighted like the world
was our cross,
was our albatross
to wear, 
to bear.
A green
badge of shame
to haunt us to (in)fame.

And then the truth came out-
Or at least our perspective did.
When we were allowed to speak
You    called    our    words    venom 
leaping from them like they were snakes
calling us liars, calling us naive, calling us ignorant.

And so you blamed us for our pain
and we took it as out due
Let it fester,   turn to hate
What else were we to do?
We waited, bided our time
Wore our marks of shame.

We tore at the twisted stains
that besmeared,besmirched
our    forever    tained    souls
We clawed with  our fingernails
until we drew     our own  blood
And then we tried   to pass the pain
The same way it     was passed to us