By Benjohn Syiem
There was a time I felt alive,
Before the world crushed me with scorn.
My father handed me a bottle
Said, "Drink this and become like other men."
I was pure, unknowing,
Unaware of the poison he poured.
Florence once called me Lily,
A name that made my soul sing.
But Lily wasn't allowed to stay
She had to fade, so John could survive.
In a world that only honours
The silence of men.