It’s Not Easy
By Erin Evertsz
It’s not easy to be a person in a town you grew up in
Being gay isn’t a choice
I didn’t wake up one day and say,
“Hey I’m gonna be gay from now on”
It was given to me since birth
It gave me a few years to figure it out
Dating boys because I was in denial of the truth
My brothers and sister who were victims
The Stonewall…. a place to be themselves
Bullied by cops, soon stood up to them to fight for their rights
It wasn’t easy
Being black isn’t a choice
I didn’t wake up and say,
“Hey I’m gonna be black today”
I’m proud to be black
Our history just shows how strong we are
It took generations to get where we are
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rosa Parks
Harriet Tubman
All fought for the rights of black people
We still don’t get that much respect
Our…life, it wasn’t easy
It’s not easy being black and gay
When people don’t accept who you are
Whether you’re a different color
Whether you’re a different sexuality
It’s not easy being a stranger in a new town.
“It’s Not Easy” was published in Listening to the Trees, a collection of social justice poems with students from the High School of Fashion Industries in 2016. Help support the unique voices of our young authors by sharing their stories and making a donation! To receive notices about opportunities for your child, sign up for our youth writing opportunities newsletter.