We are slaves.
Who don't sweat in fields
No labor.
No bruises.
No baggy clothes.
Our masters
Are peers, families, and self.
The expectations
Put on us.
To conceal our true color.
To lie to ourself.
We are prisoners.
Who don't wear orange
No bars.
No number.
No guards.
Our chains
Thinking... that we
Aren't smart,
Aren't strong,
Aren't beautiful.
Comparing is the crime,
The key to the cage.
Looking at others
Saying...
"I can never be her."
The most frightening place to be
Is in yourself,
Stuck... in the world,
Of criticism.