Years of fingers being pointed at me 

Conditioned to believe I am the broken one 

The one who puts her tail between her legs 

And accepts, ‘it must be me’

I’m sorry 

While the finger pointers get off clean 

Their head held high 

Flashing their colors

Con artists 

Fooling many including themselves

They’ve been looking at their masked selves 

In the mirror for so long

They have forgotten what lies beneath 

But I don’t blame you 

I know you haven’t learned how to walk tall 

Dripping in the truth of you 

I know you have not built the strength 

To see your mistakes as lessons 

Instead of a weakness that must not be shown 

I do not blame you 

But I can no longer be your scapegoat 

I wish to keep moving forward 

Walking with a lightness

Because I’ve chosen to shed the layers 

The masks

And offer the world 

A me that knows what she’s worth 

That is no longer afraid of who she is.