They ask me what I am
like I am a form to be filled,
a box to be checked,
a flavor to be chosen.
But I am not a checkbox.
I am my mother’s accent
folded into my English.
I am prayers whispered
under breath
in a language older than borders.
I am too much of this,
not enough of that.
Too loud in one room,
too quiet in another.
But I am learning
identity is not a question
I must answer for others.
It is a house
I am still building
with my own hands.
Kids Help Phone (KHP) is honoured to share creative content submitted by youth from coast to coast to coast as they Feel Out Loud with us. We thank the Feel Out Loud Community Creator of this piece for their contribution to youth mental health and well-being in Canada. For more information on the Feel Out Loud Community Creator Space and / or how you can submit your own creative content for possible publication, you can visit the submission page.
