Before you judge me

A world so quick to cast its gaze,  

Where whispers drown in a judgmental haze,  

Remember this fervent decree:  

There’s more to my heart than what you can see.  

I wear a smile but shadows still play,  

A mask of bright colors hiding my shades of gray.  

The laughter you hear may echo so bright,  

Yet, silence my friend, holds the depth of my night.  

Before you judge me, take a moment and pause,  

Consider the battles that come with the cause.  

Each scar tells of a story line,  

And mine is tale of resilience and learning to shine.  

The road I have traveled is paved with my fears,  

In the silence of nights I’ve whispered my tears.  

Yet on the surface, I glimmer and glow,  

But underneath, currents of sorrow still flow.    

We all wear our battles like crowns made of thorns,  

And in each of our stories, a wisdom is born.  

So before you judge me, look deep with your soul,  

For in knowing each other, we discover the whole.