STRONG

Anger, sadness, rage
devours my soul,
yet it is my friend who has to suffer
because of the ignorance of others.
Everyday she walks down the hallway
near our rusty, cubicle sized locker
with the same bright smile on her face.
Nothing can make her feel out of place
And nothing can make her ashamed.
She is proud of who she is.
Proud of her religion.
Proud of her culture.
Heck, she's even proud of wearing the scarf
And she doesn't mind not being able to wear
those halter tops
on warm sticky summer days.
Yet there are those few
that torment others like her
and they have not a clue,
of how much it hurts.
Like a knife stabbed in the heart.
Blood quickly penetrates the soul
I have heard that some
even pinch, poke and tease
others like my friend.
And what's so hard to believe
is how she keeps it all inside.
How does she manage to keep that same sunny smile
day after day?
How does she NOT let others
that have no morsel of respect
get to her?
How in the world does she do it?
Then it suddenly dawns on me.
It's her pride in who she is
that helps her build that high daring mountain
of pride and confidence
Those who chose to climb her strong rocky structure
will not survive
Muslim, and damn proud of it.
And who cares if others have a problem
with who she is
It's THEIR problem
She's as strong as brick
And can survive snowstorms, thunderstorms, and rainstorms
pouring with prejudice
If only I could be as strong
to fight what others think.