People like us

Apparently, the fairy tale life wasn't for me.
Prince charming did not come to my window.
He went to someone else's instead.
He saw the ugly duckling and looked the other way.
The mirror did not lie, and the truth never stops being a bitch.
That no matter how much it may hurt.
She will stab you until you get the message.

People like us are not part of the conversation.
People like us are not the majority.
People like us are not mute, but when we raise our voices we are too loud.
People like us have dreams but are never to be shared or seen.
People like us don't get a chance to see what love looks like

Now I certainly cannot drown in my sorrow
Or drink or smoke or stick my arm with needles;
because I can't be an addict so give me these five minutes.
I've seen the world from the eyes of man,
and from the bottom of a liquor bottle.
I've seen the world from the eyes of a boy,
too afraid to come out of the closet,.
while using needles and white sugar to numb the pain.
I've seen the world from the eyes of a woman,
who put the lives of her children above everything,
including herself and brittle away after a long ass day.

People like us can't wait to have a moment of peace,
but our brain did not get the memo.
People like us can't stand still for too long, or the past will find us.
People like us can't keep pretending that this is fine,
because none of this is fine.
The world had already forgotten us yesterday
or the day before that, or maybe even
a month
a year
or a decade in the future.
People like us can't seem to get anything done
or can't live in this world with the rules that you made.

Someone once told me
A man should be like this
A man should act like that
A man should never cry
A man should always be the provider
A man should keep firm and strong
A man should never date men
A man should never look, act or dress like a woman
A man should not deal with this bullshit
Neither do you

People like us can't fit in your box
And we won't stay in your closet
We will never be your skeleton or your dirty little secret
People like us may have to fight twice as hard
Dream twice as much
And love twice as much
Isn't that fucked up

I may not have the Cinderella story
I may not look like a prince or model
I may not achieve half of my long list of dreams
One thing I do know is that despite all that
People like us are here to stay
We won't be silenced
We won't surrender
We are here
We are proud
We won't change to fit your mold
but we will change this world.