Poem: "Still, I Am Here"

An image song for Umeko Tsuda

I'm doing everything right, so why am I not appreciated?
Just because I'm smiling, I'm not taken seriously
The stronger I become, the more they say, "You're not cute"
So, what was I supposed to do?

By constantly trying to fit someone else's definition of correct
Before I knew it, I lost sight of who I was

Still, I am here
I haven't done anything wrong
Because in the time that went unrewarded
I have fought properly

The invisible efforts and the unspoken feelings
They all make me who I am
So I won't compare myself anymore
It's okay for me to be me

When I talk about my dreams, they say, "Be realistic"
When I stay silent, they say, "You have no motivation"
In a world where I'm denied no matter which way I turn
Why is it that I still won't give up?

Surely, somewhere deep down, I know
That I cannot end it like this

Still, I am here
No matter how many times I break, I stand back up
Beyond the time that went unrewarded
Lies my own answer

It doesn't have to be someone else's expectations
It doesn't have to be someone else's standards
The me who has come this far
Is already strong enough

"Not being understood"
Is not necessarily proof that I am wrong

Still, I am here
There are feelings that never faded away
Because even the time that went unrewarded
Can be transformed into the future

It doesn't matter if no one else sees it
It's enough that I know
Everything up until today
Will truly have meaning