Life is an ordeal,

We're told what to do, what to say, what to feel,

Every day we have a choice,

To stay silent or raise our voice,

To stay in bed or face the world.

All my life, I was the quiet girl,

Raised my hand, but not too much,

Never gave full force, just a touch,

One day, something changed, the first day of school,

I was tired of being lost, just one face in a pool,

It was time to be seen and be heard,

To be more than a blur,

I wanted to be brave and leave my mark in the world,

To let my myself go and my thoughts to unfurl,

I decided I would start to say what I think,

To no longer allow my words to just sink,

To say my bad jokes and laugh at them too,

No longer did I fear being noisy or rude,

I crawled out of my hole and into the light,

I learned to disagree, to fight for my rights.

But brave is not just speaking your mind,

It's making a point, without being unkind,

It includes an open mind and always learning new things,

Finding new experiences and spreading your wings.

Choosing to be brave will open your soul,

Living unafraid will make your heart whole,

I refuse to ever again be fit into a mold,

Today I will only live fearlessly and bold.