Welcome to the twenty-first century
– where you feel like your cat catcall me
Me, a stranger, to you, not an equal
– Because all you see is a girl

You can’t see my life, the things I explore
– the things in my life I live and would die for
You can’t see that I love writing
– and dream of one-day publishing
You can’t see my love for mythology
– and the message they give about philosophy
You can’t see me jump when a butterfly comes near
– because of trauma from my childhood fear
You can’t see me practicing my Irish dance routine
– twelve years in, I’m a dancing machine
You can’t see me learning how to drive
– I’ve been waiting for this all my life
You can’t see my life as anything but a pearl
– Because all you see is a girl

You can’t hear my AirPods singing broadway tunes
– sung by singers who make me want to swoon
You can’t hear me play uke every day
– creating my own songs based on geometry
You can’t hear my anxiety shouting at me
– like constant waves coming from the sea
You can’t hear me decline chocolate
– ‘cause it’ll never be my favorite
You can’t hear me studying with my friends
– we end up venting, but it helps me in the end
You can’t hear me face timing at 1 AM
– ‘cause I meant “I’ll always be there for them”
You can’t hear me saying “no” loudly vocal
– Because all you see is a girl