Don’t swear at that reflection of the clouds upon your screen,
That burst of light from high above obscuring what has been,
You do not need to know what everyone has done or seen,
Nor do you need to follow where the crowd might go or lean.

Don’t dwell on flawless selfies or the posts of yesteryear,
The past can be forgotten without cause for doubt or fear,
You are more than the sum of every shared smile or tear,
More than the likes and comments of those strangers you hold dear.

Don’t live within the memory of a plastic-coated dream,
That manufactured happiness worth less than it may seem,
You have a brighter purpose than your state of mind might gleam,
A chance to change your future if you let the light redeem.

Don’t spend another minute on a pixelated lie,
The truth is just above you in the azure coated sky,
You only have this moment to live before you die,
So step away from all that’s fake and give real life a try.

The record spins again today,
Each note without repeat,
A revolution just begun,
This song far from complete.

The beat kicks up another notch,
The bridge not far behind,
A melody unique to me,
A chorus yet to find.

The lyrics cast their spell once more,
The words more than they seem,
The story of my life so far,
My future still to dream.

We’ve known each other half our lives,
Through sunny day and winter chill,
So much has changed since we were young,
Except our love which never will.

We’ve shared this road for half our lives,
Through cheery smile and sorrowed tear,
So much we’ve seen along the way,
Yet we stay strong through each new year.

We’ve been entwined for half our lives,
Through happiness and tragedy,
So much has been in our shared time,
But through it all we’re meant to be.

I am more than my skin tone,
More than my place of birth,
I am more than my culture,
My species on this Earth.

I am more than my gender,
More than you may have heard,
I am more than a pronoun,
My *** is just a word.

I am more than a number,
More than a head to count,
I am more than a trophy,
My flesh not yours to mount.

I am a different person,
More than I was before,
I am my true reflection,
My secret life no more.

I am a phoenix rising,
More than the heart you spurned,
I am alive and learning,
My past self dead and burned.

I am a new beginning,
More than I was back then,
I am a different ending,
A chance to live again.

Don’t despair or miss me,
Do not shed a tear,
My love for you is still here,
To keep you safe from fear.

Our journey has not ended,
For I am still with you,
Forever more beside you,
To share in all you do.

Don’t feel that you have lost me,
Do not weep or frown,
My heart won’t let you feel down,
It will not let you drown.

Our story is not over,
This chapter just begun,
The pages so far from done,
As you walk with the sun.

Don’t forget the good times,
Do not let sadness show,
My soul shares all that you know,
And follows where you’ll go.

Our lives are never finished,
The memories live on,
To share the light we have shone,
Even when I am gone.

As this year ends we breathe a sigh,
And look towards a brighter sky,
The days ahead are ours to share,
With those for whom we love and care.

As this year ends we will not mourn,
For those that will not see this dawn,
The times we've shared will ever last,
No matter what the die may cast.

As this year ends another starts,
And though we may have heavy hearts,
The new day will bring joy once more,
Despite what else might lay in store.

As this year ends we'll rise above,
To focus not on hate but love,
The good we do is where truth lies,
Not what is seen through jaded eyes.

The world has been infected,
and we are all to blame,
our silence a condition,
obedience our shame.

Our species is a parasite,
a plague upon these lands,
our greed and our ambition,
like blood upon our hands.

When all of this is over,
if we run out of time,
the future will not wait for us,
the past will be our crime.

The world is now neglected,
and we must face the flame,
inaction is our legacy,
complacency our game.

There has to be a reckoning,
there needs to be a change,
a time for something different,
the chance to rearrange.

If life is meant for all of us,
if hope still has a chance,
we have to break the pattern,
and learn a different dance.

The world can be corrected,
despite what some may claim,
we have to take this moment,
and never be the same.