Spoken word: ‘I Have Myself’ by Kimberly Silva Tecum

This piece placed first for Spoken Word submissions in the 2024 Ánimo Voices WRITING, ART, & SPOKEN WORD COMPETITION 2024, which invited students to respond to an open prompt. The competition is an opportunity to motivate, recognize, and celebrate our strong student voices through writing, spoken word, and art.

I Have Myself

Gender, Love, Skin Tones, Personality

Who thought it was Weird.
Those are Labels
We are Labeled
Whether we like it or Not
We are all placed into Categories If we
don’t fit into Society’s Labels,
We are deemed as
Monsters, Outcasts, Outsiders
Who shouldn’t have
Entered this world. I’m used to it though! I mean…
I’ve never complained about it For
what?
Decades, Years, maybe?
Even months.
I never said a word,
I kept my mouth shut.
I didn’t care if a person who
didn’t fit into those labels
Died to say the least… That was until I looked at
My tiny mirror on a June
At Night when I was heading
To bed-
I didn’t want to be a girl
Nor did I feel like One.
Odd…
That’s not normal?

I Was Born?

“Yo! You’re Weird!

I started to think about this since the

Government-

The Government

Why do They have the Protection that
Who is supposed to
Protect Me
Who gave me my freedom
Didn’t have Laws to
Protect me.
Free Country.
BUT ONLY for those who fit into
These Labels.
THOSE who didn’t have the feelings I was
feeling
THOSE who are considered NORMAL Am I? Am I not Myself Anymore? Do I
have to be Afraid to go Outside And
Just..
Just to… See?
Do I have to be Afraid
That I can’t see anymore? I Started to Spiral
Spiraling down down hill
Down to where I got diagnosed with
Depression
Down two where
I felt I should go
Since I felt Society was already
Rejecting
Me

How Come though..?

That’s not a Girly thing to do,” A
random person says to me “Yo! You a
Boy or what? Cause That’s not a Girly
thing to do!” – Says one of my old
Guy friends I rushed to the bathroom mirror But
waited for me was
A Reflection of Myself. “You’re not Normal!”
“You’re not Human!”
“You’re anything But!”
I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW
SHUT UP – I KNOW
HOW I’M SUPPOSED
TO BE FEELING AND LOOKING LIKE
IS IT WHAT
GIRLS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO? I know, I’m supposed to be “Normal…” And
yet everywhere I look
Every City that I turn to
Every Place that I see, I see a
“Normal Person,”
But yet…
When I look in the mirror with a Chest,
Long hair, Feminine Features
I want to cry! So I covered my white
Closet mirror.
So ashamed that
My body didn’t look how I wanted Ashamed
that I was feeling like this Ashamed that I
wasn’t “Normal.” Now my head, filled with
thoughts of Myself: “I’m not ‘Normal’- How
come?” Does this mean…I have to be
Afraid of someone
Pulling a gun up to my head and saying,
“You’re a Monster!
God didn’t make you this!” How
How
How
How
How WHY?
I so desired
Why are They considered “Normal?” We’re Humans
We’re not supposed to be Perfect
One way or another
We’re going to be different
Whether it’s Who we love
What we are…
Who we like… I once again looked in the mirror, The
mirror that I vowed
To hate for all eternity, but this time I no
longer wanted to cry. I am not a girl but I am myself.
Even if
I am
A he/him
A they/he
Or they/them.
I am still human.
Sure I dont have as many laws to protect Me
Nor people who support me
But
I have myself.
As long as I believe that nothing will hurt
me,
Nothing will hurt me.

Kimberly Silva Tecum

10th Grade, Ánimo Jackie Robinson Charter High School 

Guiding Teacher: Rachel Kopera