Speak Your Truth
By AL
allow your words to define who you are through your actions!
and trust that I see you for you, because we are all trying to reach the same goal,
a perfect place to embrace amongst the multicolor of the rainbow.
like the north star you shine brightly. therefore cast your light to the voiceless
while striving to provoke change,
expressing gratitude, laughter and love in the presence of your own pain.
don’t be fierce in your quest for love and reject all forms of hate.
for tomorrow is not promised to us, so grab the spot light now or forever wait.
i can see the caterpillar transforming into a beautiful butterfly.
bare your soul to the world and allow life to be your only natural high.
let your spirit run wild through the fields of unlimited youth.
and each day as you become who you say you are, bravely speak your truth!
**a special dedication to the mysteries of the rainbow. happy pride month**
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
This was very well-written! This is not something that we talk about enough, it seems that we are simply tolerating people being queer while still distancing ourselves from queer people. It was nice to see that this encourages people to be themselves freely because we should all be doing that. Yes everyone now seems to put up a guise of acceptance towards it publicly, but even I had to take a lot of time to discern the difference of me simply being okay with queer people existing versus me being comfortable inhabiting the same spaces as them. It is easy to judge people who have no real connection to, but we never think about when it is someone in our family or one of our loved ones who is “different”.
this is the only poem ive found so far that’s about being queer so first off thank you for writing it <3 secondly the line "tomorrow isn't promised for us" is so powerful cause like. no one really knows if we're gonna be here tomorrow & if we're queer the chances we get to stay unfortunaly take a hit. happy late pride month i hope you're doing okay!!
AL,
I love the imagery you create in this poem! The rainbow, a butterfly, shining brightly; these all create a beautiful energy. Thank you for sharing this!
KC
This poem is very touching and speaks the truth. I like the first sentence a lot. It doesn’t matter where you came from, or what your race or political view is, we all want the same goal; to succeed and be loved. Sometimes it’s hard to be yourself in groups of people, but that just means you have to find the right group of people. This poem has lots of solid work usage and that makes the reader engaged. Take advantage of what you have and what you are searching for. You got this and remember the best is yet to come!
This poem touched me on so many personal levels. The struggle to not only navigate one’s sexuality but also face the fears of acceptance (or lack thereof) for who we love is indescribable. I am honestly so happy that I found your poem. Especially at this point in my life, I truly needed to hear these words. I feel seen and heard and entirely understood through this work so thank you. It truly speaks volumes to the melting pot of the rainbow and the community that can be found within.
This is really sweet! Happy Pride Month!
Thanks for spreading positivity and light to the LGBTQ+ community. Beautiful poem and thanks for the reminder that we should let our words define us through our actions.
– Happy Pride !
Speaking your own truth is an important thing. I love the way you presented your truth into words. The words you wrote made the reader think clearly about what your saying. Nicely done!
I love how uplifting and empowering this poem is! It’s easy to focus on the negativity in life and dwell on the pain of not being accepted by everyone, but the fact that you did the opposite and instead highlighted the beauty and grace of self-love and spreading happiness to others is astonishing and beautiful! I think my favorite line was “Like the north star you shine brightly. Therefore cast your light to the voiceless while striving to provoke change, expressing gratitude, laughter and love in the presence of your own pain.” This line is gorgeously written and emphasizes how lovely and crucial each person is to the world, and how passing along the message of equality and love to give a voice to those who struggle is key. Amazing!!! Thank you so much for giving me the chance to read such a happy, motivational poem!
This poem was a very light and happy read. I love the message that you convey about being yourself and embracing whoever that is. I really liked the line about how we are all trying to reach the same goal, because at the end of the day, that’s truly what it is, despite people’s financial, racial, political, etc., differences. I think in a world where there’s so much judgement, divide & hatred it’s so important to create pieces like this that encourage self-love & happiness. Thank you so much for sharing!
Ainsley
This poem is very strong and it is great to see that you are expressing yourself. I love the approach that you took to write this poem and how you talked about the mysteries of the rainbow. I’ve never thought about how much mystery is in a rainbow, and this poem has opened up my eyes. One key part that I like about this poem is the multiple similes and metaphors you use in the poem. Great work, keep up the good writing!
This is such a beautiful poem. I think this poem is so empowering. The way this author speaks about immigrants is just so beautiful and empowering. America is a place where so many people dream of moving to in order to escape the hardships they face in other parts of the world where life is nothing like the lives we are so blessed to live in America. I think there is such a negative connotation around immigration recently, and it breaks my heart. All these people want is a better life for themselves and their families. People come here from all over the world in hopes of working hard and living a better life, and they are often faced with racism and prejudice. The way many people view immigrants in this country is so unfair and needs to change. This poem is amazing and I’m sure it would make many people feel so seen and understood. This is my favorite poem I have read on Free Minds thus far. Thank you for seeing immigrants as people who just want a better life rather than the horrible things some people think of them. Amazing and very moving poem.
his poem covers a topic which I have yet to see in other Free Minds poems that I’ve read thus far. This poem is very uplifting and inspiring. When I read it the first time, I thought the meaning of the poem was to empower people to be who they are and go out there and get what they want and I thought it was a very uplifting message. However, upon further review, I realized this is a poem for the LGBTQ community! I think this gives the poem another level of meaning, and I find it refreshing to read a poem uplifting the LGBTQ community in the Free Minds community! This is a very powerful and kind message!
I am learning more and more every day, and this inspires not just the lgbtq community but people that struggle to find their own peace in their own individuality. Amazing writing, helps express one’s sexuality and live pride in it.
I love the alliteration and the flow of the poem! The rhythm and imagery work well to create a fun and immersive literary journey through experiences we seldom appreciate for what they truly are.
You’ve done a wonderful job as both a poet and a writer expressing concepts that millions struggle to understand. Continue seeing things for what they are and living your truth. Happy belated Pride!
speaking your own truth is really important, speaking your truth is how you learn who you really are. I also really like the line ” like the north star you shine brightly” that line stood out to me, i really like how you described a human using stars. i think everyone shines bright in their own way like a star.
I love this! What I like is how honest and empowering it is to get out there and grab your spotlight. It’s very well written and what I like is how it speaks to everyone. We all want to provoke change in the world and this reminds the reader to go on ahead and grab it before we’re gone. What I also love is all the energy it brings to the reader and I believe that’s from the imagery you use. it paints a picture for us of just how bright and empowering our futures can be. Beautifully said!
Hello AL, this is a beautiful, positive, and oval inspiring poem. You did such a wonderful job showing how a person should feel empowered with who they are. We should all be able to be who we want to be and not care what others think. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing poem!
I really, really appreciate this poem. I’m queer myself, and these are the sorts of words I’ve needed to hear lately. Your use of imagery is absolutely beautiful. One of my favorite lines is, “for tomorrow is not promised to us, so grab the spot light now or forever wait”. It feels so much easier at times to stay closeted, or maybe even worse, to go back into the closet. But you’re very right. It is so important to accept your truth and be exactly as you are, with no apologies. We have one life here on Earth, and it could end anytime, so we have to take our joy when we get the chance. Thank you so much for sharing this with others. It’s no longer pride month as I write this, but I’m wishing you a happy month as well all the same!
Though Pride month may be a month away, happy Pride all the same!
The lines “and trust that I see you for you, because we are all trying to reach for the same goal,” and “for tomorrow is not promised to us, so grab the spot light now or forever wait,” really hit home for me as another queer person, because they really do speak for the whole queer experience; we can’t wait for the world to catch up, so we must carve out our own existence in the here and now.
Thank you for writing!