Being a tomboy growing up
separated me from the other girls.
The boys didn’t know what to make of me,
so I never truly fit in with either gender.

I related mostly to the solitude of words,
as just like musical chords,
their flow I could not hinder.

Likewise, I drifted from group to group,
never really fitting in with anyone,
for considering me in my entirety,
never equated to an even sum.

So it may have appeared
I was always on the run,
but I was never fleeing myself;
only the social norms telling me to conform,
wanting all of me fitting perfectly
within their confines of control.

But I forged my path against the grain,
both in spite of and due to,
all the criticism and unsolicited advice
on just about everything I do.

Each of our paths is uniquely ours,
not for others to plan or dictate.
Nor can anyone walk its entirety but you,
so be true to yourself, your divine story awaits.
© Buffy Lee