Do They Hate Me?

Amity, Guardian of Friendship

They don't care if I stand up straight,
They don't care if I fall,
They don't care that they make me feel
Like I always have to crawl.
They don't care that they slap me around,
But when I try to express my pain;
They get offended, and shut me up,
And just make me hurt again.
They take things that I claim as mine;
Like my talents, and even my name,
And when I try to make them stop,
They say it's just a game.
They don't want me to be one of them,
But they don't like the way I think,
They get mad when I am silent,
But I'm not allowed to speak.
They don't care that I never laugh,
They don't care that I always cry,
They don't like it when I stay in one place,
But I'm not allowed to fly.
Only if they want something from me,
That's the only time they call;
In fact, it seems that there are times
When they don't care about me at all.
They say they'll always love me,
And that they'll be there till the end;
But with the way they make me feel,
How can I be sure that they're my friends?

Copyright 2001 Caitlin Carlson