06/02/2025
I Endure, and You Should Be Concerned
I traversed paths you wouldn't dare explore,
where the wind conveys regret,
like a scent clinging to memories,
where the ground protests
under the weight of every moment
I almost succumbed to hopelessness.
Are you seeking genuine insight?
Not the superficial kind.
The candid truth.
Then sit down, remain silent,
and listen with your heart, not just your ears.
You look at me and nod in understanding,
believing you've grasped my story,
but you've never touched the pages
that burned with intensity.
You perceive a man still standing tall
and mistakenly equate that with tranquility.
But I've carried the burden of turmoil,
coexisted with inner demons
that had my name etched in their memory,
and presented a composed exterior
for your sake.
You rendered your verdict from a position of privilege,
sipping your certainty while I was mired in shards,
begging the night to shut its goddamn mouth,
wishing the morning would stop pretending to be light.
But mercy is not extended to those who suffer with restraint. I stayed. Do you hear me?
I stayed. When escape felt like a relief. When silence begged for my name. I stayed.
Not for your validation. Not for your narrative of redemption. I stayed because I refused to cede another victory to this cruel,
rigged world.
Now you call me strong? Where were you when I couldn’t even look in the mirror without flinching?
Don’t dare call me brave like it’s some superficial praise. This wasn’t courage.
It was instinct. It was blood. It was fire screaming in my lungs while I still chose to breathe.
I’m not quiet anymore. I’m not soft for your comfort.
I’m not here to make peace with those who waged war on my soul.
I am the voice that rose from the ashes you left behind. I am the match you couldn’t s***f out. I am the loud, cursed, strong f**k-you.
to every falsehood you propagated about my value, I respond.
I am here to assert my presence. To challenge the status quo of every institution that marginalized the vulnerable.
To command recognition when I state my name. I remain steadfast. Still resilient. Still unwavering in my resolve.
And if that unsettles you? Good. It signifies that I have finally become the embodiment of everything you feared I could be.
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