The Advocate

How can I not say gay when I was born this way

How can I help when children's lives are in the sway

How can I help Them

When children's lives are what politicians condemn

How can I be an advocate and a friend

When I don't know what to do or how to begin?

What do I do with the heartache and pain

Now that Ukraine is at war again

I feel numb and terrified

I'm depressed, and angry and it's all amplified

I feel the tension in my chest and pray it's not my physical heart

One more setback and I could fall apart

What could I do to help those I care for

What kind of advocate can I be if I'm ill once more

Though this chaos has barely begun

It's already heavier than 2021

Laws that deny trans children rights

Leader sitting on their hands while Ukraine fights

My life is touched by sad events every day

And these feelings are hard to keep at bay

How can I call myself an advocate if I'm too overwhelmed to speak

How can I be of use when I feel so weak

Without consent, without a choice

People everywhere are losing their voice

I must get past my paralysis so their stories are heard

And use my privilege to spread the word

And though I am going through my own pain

It will not silence me again