Tick Tock

They told me to be scared,

And I believed they had a

Reason, because these were

The men and women who

Had surrounded my being

From when I had first sneaked

A look through my eyes,

My eyes, they saw my skin and

Saw nothing different which

Could hint that I am not worthy

Of the accolades of existence

And I saw the mirror tell me

The same, but you told my

Mind that it isn’t one,

My mind, it believed to be stripped

Of secrets and it asked you to do

The same, but you snatched

Apart the clothes which kept

Me warm, and you exploited my

Noble skin, but you unwittingly

Also made it callous,

My skin, it burned till it drew red

And it hurt, but I was still not afraid

When you told me I deserved it,

Because in my heart I knew I didn’t,

And even when my hands screamed

To plunge knives into your heart,

I didn’t; we’re not the same,

My hands begged you to set me

Free, and pushed yours away from

Where they pushed, but you didn’t

Back away, and then my face felt

The warm liquid drip, and my nose

Smelt the darker warm liquid drip like

Falling rain,

My face, it didn’t give away to my

Mother because it hid behind the

Same face and acceptance, and I

Dismissed how I had become black and

White with highlights of bursting red, and

I hid myself, defeated of the foul play

My soul had endured,

My soul, you spit at it, and I believe

You won, but I come out every night

At mid-night at the same spot you

Snuffled my face, because while you

Thought you had cut my tongue, I

Was just gaining the silence of a

Million other voices,

The million other voices juncture my

Pain as their own, and plan to befall

You to the mercy of your sins, because

When I didn’t speak for myself, they

Held my pride and howled my name

As their own, and I now see you quail at

Reason and truth,

How long did you think the people

Who use, and the people who blame

Tradition and honour would keep charge

When people who care and stand up

As a voice for the mute would shove and

Burden you with your bitter existence

Existed and proclaimed?

How long did you think you had before

The she-wolf hunted you down and cleaned

Your heart of all its red, so she could finally

Stop hiding behind the bleeding wounds

Of her children, her mother and herself?

How long did you think you had before

You respected her existence?

How long did you think you had before

The clock stopped its tick tock and you

Had to bid goodbye to the sickening

Soul you are not ashamed of? How

Long did you think you have before

I stood before you and was proud of

Being who I am?