I Found Myself Below the Flag

All of my life, I had been in a cage

My dreams, my laughter and promises melted to rage

As I decayed and my soul was swayed by tides I had no control of

People around me cried and sighed over the beauty of honesty and love

I nodded my head and I spoke not a word

Who I was rang inside me, the loudest of screams left unheard

He tried to emerge, he tried to exist

But wagging fingers and scolding tongue dismissed and eclipsed

My beautiful sunrise, my chance to be real and warmed by light upon my skin

Skin, beautiful skin that I had no shame to be in

I had no choice but to stay in my place

Cover his face

Mascara, lipstick, eyeliner and blush

All of those words in my head, my head was now hush

As he slowly died and a false woman cried over the love of a man she knew so intimately

Me...beautiful me. Beautiful man no one was allowed to see

The clock went on and so many of my years gone

Lost, fading, I felt I would never see my true dawn

I lied. I lied so much.

I tried to touch

I tried to be

But how can one be when one cannot be free

When one cannot be as "to be" is something that no one can see

The fear of my rejection

My vessel was a model of beauty, dress and complexion

On a rare day when I found my way beyond my framed cell window

I found the secret I thought only I could know

I saw a place where there was no disgrace

In finally wearing my face

It was grey and faded, like me; a bruised and stained rag

Yet above the door, I could see a flag

A rainbow flag on a gentle wind on a mild day

I stole my breath and knew I could only go one way

I pushed open the door and found in others how love could be so relentless

I was me and we were "we" and there was "us"

I learned then that my truth is all that matters

I picked up a broken boy and wove a man from tatters

Because of a rainbow flag, I can be me

I am a man. I am whole. I am all that I need to be.