smiling often so people think they are happy
acting wild so people think they are confident
laughing loud so people think they are having a good time
loving wildly so people will support her
loving shallowly so it doesn't hurt as bad when she falls

please open your eyes for me

tie me to the mast
don't let me hear the sirens
do not let me drift
tie an anchor to my feet
guide my waterlogged heart home

o, captain, captain.
guide us to the gleaming shore.
point my feet back home.

does my being provoke you?
does the way I say my name make your blood churn?
does the way I stand on my feet make you uncomfortable?

I hope so.
because is the other option
is that you would think you have the right to
the way I stand,
the way I talk,
the way I am.
you think you hold the title deed to my body

o, you are not entitled to anything.
the way I move is not for you
the way I sing is not for you

so I hope my being provokes you.
I hope I made your skin crawl.

He seldom cries,
but when he does,
it floods the world
with it's sweet, mellifluous song.