All I need is a chance.

A chance to answer your questions-

After I’ve given you the context

Before you force out what you want to hear

After you understand where I’m coming from

Before you jump to conclusions, but

 

I don’t have time to go back and forth

Because

You already

Made your judgements

 

Even before

The answers

Left my

Mouth

 

I’m

Gasping

For

Air

Because

I forgot to breathe

In my hurry to

Tell you the truth

Before you

Made it up

Yourself

 

I am late.

 

I never

Got the chance

To express myself

Nor redeem myself.

 

I am weak.

And now

I’m still

Gasping

 

In

Between

Sobs

 

As I try

To come

To terms

 

With the reality

 

But my mom

Wipes my tears

And my dad

Holds me close

And my friend

Tells me a joke

And my teacher

Smiles at my work

And my neighbor

Let me babysit

 

Because

They know

That I am

Smart. Beautiful. Kind.

And I know

That I am

Learning. Trying. Smiling

And you should know

That you are not important to me

Anymore.

 

Because

There are others

Who have given me the chance

The chance I begged for

The chance I deserve

The chance to be who I am

To embrace myself

To prepare myself

For those like you

Who manage to turn a blind eye against the sun

Who manage to overlook a person’s significance for

The sake of your own superiority

Who stimulate so much fear, so much hate

That I would have drowned in my tears

Gasping for air but finding only

A venomous atmosphere to intake

Had it not been for the others

 

The others

When gasping for air

They pulled me out, lifted me up

I stood up on my feet

I am strong.

Stronger than I thought I could be.

The tears dried. My vision cleared.

 

I am rising.

Rising past the depths of the ocean

Up into the clouds of my dreams

I see you, pointing at me

I hear you, criticizing me

But I am beyond your reach.

 

I am gasping.

Gasping for air

Because

I am climbing the steepest mountain

So quickly

The air is thinner here

I am out of breath, smiling

Because

The view below is beautiful

I know you are there

Invisible from above

Because

You are small.

Insignificant.

 

I am gasping for air

Because

I am surrounded by laughter

Mom Dad Friend Teacher Neighbor

Celebrating my stride

To the top

When given the chance

Because

That’s all I ever needed.

A chance-

The chance.