Smug in your arrogance,

Confident in your condescending tone
and pompous attitude that you have gained somehow, the upper hand,
silenced my voice with your own,

Backed me, small into the corners of your own insecurities,
shamed me into surrender, marred my dignity by exposing my flaws
as if you had not one

But I say,

Do what you will, shout as you must
but you will never out scream the sound of my own truth
and though you may bang with iron fists you'll never break me
to build yourself up from the shallow puff of hot air that you are or
destroy me with your jealousy and ignorant indifference
to see a way of thinking beyond your own

You see,

I haven't made it this far by being weak, a follower, a coward
for if life has taught me nothing else, it has taught me this,
Survival, to fight for what I believe, to be only as I am

So no matter how mighty you delusion yourself to be
consider this, my friend,

I've been through so much worse than you

And still I stand......

7/13/09 Debbie Berk