Standing True

 

Standing True
I won't be something I am not—
No mask worn thin to fit the crowd,
No shadow of myself, contorted
To echo what the world demands.
I stand unbent, a tree in storm,
Roots deep in soil of my own truth,
Refusing to uproot for fleeting winds.I will not humble myself anymore
To meet others' needs at my expense—
No more the quiet sacrifice,
The bending reed that snaps in silence.
I've given enough of my light
To those who dimmed it without care;
Now I reclaim the flame within,
Burning bright for my own sake.I am not a wall, cold and unyielding,
Barbed wire surrounding the doors of my heart—
No fortress built from fear's sharp thorns,
Entangling all who dare approach.
Instead, I open wide the gates,
But only to what honors the garden inside:
Blooms of vulnerability, tended with care,
Not trampled by indifferent feet.If need be, I will be the last one standing
In favor of nurture, fierce and unbowed—
A solitary sentinel in the fray,
Championing kindness amid the clash.
When voices rise in harsh dissent,
When shadows of conflict loom large,
I'll hold the line for gentle growth,
Watering seeds where others see only weeds.In the face of opposition's gale,
I'll root deeper, reach higher still—
Not crumbling, not retreating,
But evolving into something stronger:
A beacon of self-compassion,
Illuminating paths for those who follow,
Proving that true strength lies not in walls,
But in the quiet power of staying whole.