✦ Outcast

They say that anyone who’s a stranger to 
themselves is a stranger to the world.
Well, here I am—an outcast. 
Bending rules, 
following my heart’s call.
Few know what it takes to keep going, 
to persist, 
to endure,
To hold on tight until what I desire finally comes to life.

So call me what you want
Throw your words, your stones. 
Earn your pay, 
watchdog, bark all you like.
Guard your masters, keep your eye on me, 
the so-called threat.
But remember this: every dog has its day.
I walk my path, and you feel uneasy. 
Threatened, just by my presence.
And still, I rise.

Yes, go ahead—spread your smears, twist my
truth into something it’s not.
I see how you work, swiveling others around, 
bending them with your malice.
But trust me, I’d rather keep company 
with a viper’s venom
Than feel the sting of your betrayal.

Now I understand what real loneliness is; this quiet in the abyss,
Where the Universe calls me to stand on my own.
Try as you might, you’ll never match me. 
Mimic my moves, steal my style
But you will never be me. 
And that is my power.
Because I rise, over and over, 
like a phoenix out of the fire.

I am the outcast, bending rules 
and following my heart’s desire.