Silent Warriors - Like Us

“Your grades don’t matter,” they say. But when you get a B, they yell at you. 

“You’re so healthy,” they say. But when you touch one potato chip, you need to stop eating so much. 

“You’re so good at that sport,” they say. But when you play, they scream at you from the sidelines. 

Sit back, relax, enjoy the great life of teens.

“Go out and live your life,” they say. But when you’re hanging out with your friends past 7, it’s too dangerous.

“You can’t help who you fall in love with,” they say. But when he goes to meet your parents, they hate the way he acts around you.

“Youth voices make such a difference,” they say. But when you try to speak they suffocate you under, “Stay out of grown folks’ business.”

Now you’ve got a taste. 

We’re silent warriors

Not many like us

“I was young once,” they say, but not in our generation.

Not with the judging, 

the social media,

the comparing,

the jealousy,

the “Oh. My. Gosh. I wish I was her.” 

the “Oh. My. Goodness. She’s so ugly.”

Just.

To make us 

feel better 

about ourselves.

Our bodies,

Our faces,

That we drown under makeup because we’ll never be good enough

For ourselves.

For our enemies.

For our siblings.

For even our friends.

“Be yourselves!” (when they don’t support LGBTQ+)

“Love everyone!” (as they complain about their co-workers)

Parents.

Trying to control.

Thinking we’re just.

Like.

Them. 

But we’re not.

We’re like us.

No one

Will ever

Understand

Unless you’re like us. 

One of us.

Hearing this story,

Relating,

Knowing,

Understanding.

Thank you if you’re reading this.

Thank you if you know

What

It’s

Like

You’re a warrior

Going through this

Like me

Like us

They won’t understand

They never will

Not if we stay quiet

Silent Warriors

Like us.