Exoskeleton by Anonymous (13, New York)

Over and over again, my mount is nearly demolished
by the conceptual norms of "conventionality."
Each time an insult is spat out, I can feel myself 
crumbling & my confidence gradually deteriorating.
The condemnation I face stunts any sort of determination I previously had.

Each time I discern the leers on their distorted faces,
shadows of self-doubt nearly swallow me whole.
It is then when I'm reminded of every single one of my flaws.
My internal fragility quickly becomes one comparable to an egg shell;
I can feel it gradually on the verge of cracking.

---

But even as I stand there, quivering in fear & doubt,
I refuse to let the oppressors intimidate me.
I refuse to give in to their ignorant requests.

Even through all of the tribulations, I am still standing.
Though I feel the inner portion of my body slowly giving up
and my weakness coming off as some sort of plea,
my body is like concrete:
susceptible & indestructible, from the bigotry of society.

Feeling like a new mortal, this newfound motivation encourages me
to take action, even if I am shunned for my anomalous ideas.
The glimmer inside of me cannot be extinguished.
My exoskeleton can never be destroyed.

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