And you cannot stop them from taking what isn’t theirs,

Must watch them guzzle down what others might have found

Precious, you must work hard, harder, and brave 

Burdens they’ll gladly set before you as they claim you

Bound to a name given or taken away and yet in their hands

Everything is stripped of meaning, gold to dust, all of it

Muck they would have you call beauty, but you stand

Firm in the face of fury and hold tight to truth,

Which is that they have no power over who you behold,

Become—love even when you feel low and lost.

Don’t look back and don’t cling to things that will only trip you up.

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Melissa Nunez is a writer and homeschooling mother from South Texas. When not in the classroom or behind her computer, she is most likely to be found attempting to identify a local species of bird or plant or watching a really cool show (not always, but very probably, anime). She is contributor for The Daily Drunk Mag and Yellow Arrow, and staff writer for Alebrijes Review. Twitter: @MelissaKNunez