When I was just ten,
I wanted to die.
The shadows pried
the light from my eyes,
But for I have had friends
who ended their lives;
too young to see it,
broken and dried.
We do not forget them.
We remember their lives.
The smiles they gave us,
the scars that they'd hide..
Depression is not
a joke to be taken lightly,
when so many people are out there
that have given up with fighting.
I didn't know my power,
but I do know it now.
I can save a life
just by being around.
I can be myself,
no matter who that person is.
Flawed for being different,
because different is a sin.
So I refuse to stay
in the closet that I'm in,
because my mind cannot take it,
and if I come out, I win.
Talking in a language
that's already dismayed.
Sugar-coated phrases,
and coat-covered names.
In one place I'm myself,
in another I must hide,
because the risk of violence
lingers too far behind.
Mind your words, mind your manners,
but stand up for yourself-
because
you matter.

At the end of the day,
only our voices are left
so use them wisely
and never forget.