A rose by another name is just as plain
A rose in another vase is just as dead
And here I am pretending, nothing’s wrong with me.

If I don’t see what I want to see
If I don’t hear what I want to hear
What use is it if I speak, and you don’t hear me?

Don’t hear me out if I’m lifeless
Don’t look the other way
If you see that I’m struggling to breathe.

I fight to stay focused, you fight to be blameless
I close my eyes when I start to sink.

If I don’t see what I want to see
If I don’t hear what I want to hear
What use is it if I lose it, and you ignore me?

I am not an object, I am not a vessel of pain
I deserve life, even if I’m worthless.

I scream, I cry, I will not die
You won’t ignore that I’m there
No one will tell me I’m a waste of air.

Don’t cut me down, and expect me to wither away.

10th September 2017