I am like no one else Tied up by stereotype Physically bound by color And the sound of my name overlapping distance and the time it takes for people to figure me out And not wonder anymore I am not a star My words don?t resonate the way they used to Innocently grazing through unequal territory But always coming back to the safety of familiar arms I cannot change the world Only my reflection Of a million lives passed Just dreams Of freedom No one takes seriously No one acts out of sincerity Pass through plans and hope for miracles That rarely come Like books that go unread Important points that remain unsaid I cannot be trusted By liars Because I know what they are going to say They like me as long as I stay Play the part Victimize my eyes Because they see too much of the truth Cannot be purchased Accumulate in a bank with interest in lives outside our own I am not one of them A shadow Willing to ignore Turn into a mannequin for the sake of partnership Being true is a virtue Like patience in a time when no one waits I am a woman Like no one else. -Veronica