Next Time

You failed this time.

You let them win.

You gave first place

to your friends again.

But they aren’t your friends.

They don’t know you.

They don’t care how

they sing your tunes.

And they aren’t your tunes;

They’re from someone else.

They just keep you believing

you can be yourself.

But you can’t be yourself.

They don’t want to see

who you are

or what you could be.

And you couldn’t be anything

they don’t want you to know,

which is why it is best

to put on this show.

But you aren’t just a show

so how could you try

to merely blend in;

to merely survive?

And you can’t just survive.

You can’t wait ‘til they see.

They won’t ever listen

if you don’t ever speak.

But you say you can’t speak,

at least not right now.

You’ll try again later,

once you figure out how.

But you won’t find out how.

They won’t change their minds.

Wait all you want,

but there’s not always next time.