They smile & they scoff,
Pretend to be kind,
But whisper my name with a crueler mind,
They mock what they don't even care to know,
Plant seeds of doubt just to watch me grow slow.
They laugh when I rise,
And cheer when I fall,
Speak loud in a room just to make me feel small,
A cousin who once felt like a sister & friend,
Now glares like i'm someone she wants to offend.
They treat me like less,
Like I don't belong,
But I've been holding in silence so strong,
I've done them no harm,
Yet they pick me apart,
With jealous eyes & a cold little heart.
But they don't know the storms I survive,
How I'm still breathing, still here, still alive,
Their fake little shows,
their bragging & pride,
Can't cover the emptiness they hold inside.
I walk with grace,
Though they roll their eyes,
I see through their masks,
And sugar laced lies.
They measure my worth,
By their twisted scale,
But I won't let their bitterness,
Make me fail.
Let them stare, let them scheme,
let them sneer,
I'll stay true to myself year after year,
Because kindness will shine where cruelty decays,
And I'll rise from their shade into brighter days.