*Poem was previously published in Accomplished

The gray is growing around me,

The empty walls enclosed around us all,

The gray is all we have,

Our virtues and values tossed on the floor,

For we only believe our conductors,

Our morals go out the door.

Yet one day I dare to step out of the gray,

Only to be condemned by both the conductors and my peers,

But I saw the color and the hope,

And I want more.

Tomorrow I die alive,

I refuse to be a captive in my own home,

For my loved ones condemn me for this kind of thinking,

But the color is too bright.

This is my new unity,

For the hope is strong.

The dissonance slips away,

The freedom infects my veins,

Through the affection and faith,

I rise.