I'm trans
gay

tough as nails but I fall to pieces sometimes.
It's alright that people don't know;
I say I'm handling it
and sometimes I am
and sometimes I'm not. 

But I do think I like myself more now than I did
when I was in high school
and even though I hate myself sometimes
and I hate having opinions, thinking people are
strange or awkward or irritating because
I never want to hurt anyone's feelings

I'm starting to realize
that I put everyone else's feelings
above me even having feelings
and that's not okay.


So here's to doing things I like
to riding bikes, doing math, 
hanging out with friends, 
learning new things.

Here's to going to college parties
with a soda in my hand
because there won't be anything
non-alcoholic there.

And here's to all of us
to being who you are
and doing what you truly want to do;
here's to being brave
for all of us who have let fear get in the way
of what we are and want and need; 
here's to tomorrow
being better, being an adventure,
and here's to today
not being too far gone
to make something of.