Shadows on the Payment

Born under city lights that flicker like broken promises, Skin like midnight, heart like a storm that's brewing slow. They call me sister, but whisper "freak" when backs are turned, Walking these streets where the badges gleam and the fear takes hold. I've danced in the mirror, piecing together who I am, From the roots of my ancestors to the truth in my veins. America's dream? It's a cage with a view, For a Black trans woman, just trying to break through. Oh, the weight of this world, it pulls me down low, But my soul's got a fire that nobody can blow. I'm rising from ashes, from the dirt and the pain, Black and trans in this land, I'll claim my own name. Hear my voice in the wind, it's calling out strong, For justice and love where the lost ones belong. Nights in the alley, where the rain washes clean, But the stares and the slurs, they cut like a blade unseen. Family turned strangers, church doors slammed shut, Chasing a freedom that's always just out of touch. I've cried in the shadows, fought for my light, Wearing my pride like armor in the dead of the night. From Harlem's heartbeat to the South's weary sigh, I'm weaving my story, refusing to die. Oh, the weight of this world, it pulls me down low, But my soul's got a fire that nobody can blow. I'm rising from ashes, from the dirt and the pain, Black and trans in this land, I'll claim my own name. Hear my voice in the wind, it's calling out strong, For justice and love where the lost ones belong. And when the blues come calling, like an old friend in the dark, I pick up my pieces, let the guitar speak my heart. No more hiding, no more chains on my wings, I'm the revolution, the song that freedom sings. Oh, the weight... it pulls me down... But my fire... it burns... forever now...