Standing

You can’t see it, but it’s always there.

It could be the pride we have for each other,
the love we have for each other,
or maybe it’s the knowledge that we’re there for each other.

Whatever it is,
I know it feels safe.
It’s always been untouchable

We’ve been getting torn down for hundreds of years.
Shot with words meant to strip us to our core.
Plastered with misconceptions meant to bury us.
But we’re still standing.

We stay brave because we are,
not because we need to be.
Kind because we care,
not because we’re supposed to.
Strong because we are,
and because the world would pounce at any moment.

We live as warriors with battle scars passed like heirlooms.
We stand with love and strength in our backs,
And the shades of hope in our hearts whisper that we’re still here.

Somehow we’re still here.
Somehow fighting hatred with blessings in our souls,
Somehow standing against the gravity of the world,
Somehow our light burns brighter as the world tries to dim it.

The world knows we’re still standing, and they know we’ll never fall.