Proud
Proud of me
I’m standing free, though
I cannot 
Scream
And the tears are silently beginning
To stream
I will stand in peace, inside
The pride they
Feel for 
me

Proud
Proud of me 
My scarred and weakened knees,
Shattered and broken are
All of my remaining
Dreams
But they’re proud
And they say they are all so
Proud
Of me

Proud
Proud of me
They take the glee from
The happy me
The only one that they ever 
want
To see, 
(The truth is still hidden beneath the
Hanging tree)
But they’re proud, yes,
They’ll be so proud of
me

Proud they say, they prefer the
Way
I bend my shape
To fit their
Frame 
Inside an endless string of 
Toxic scenes
Filled with dark and painful gas lit 
Gains
But they were proud
And I will always remember when 
Anyone
Was proud
Of me


~ A. L. Stippich