Liberation - a poem

I used to think liberation would come to me in the form of citizenship, as a small American flag I would wave with tears streaming down my face. I thought liberation would whisper in my ear, tell me I finally belong, I’m finally visible. I thought liberation would come to me on a voting ballet or an airplane ticket or maybe a license without the word “temporary” written at the bottom. But now I know, Liberation is not how other people perceive me, it’s not how the country invalidates my identity. Liberation is the drive to wake up every day, knowing the anxiety inside my head is telling me to sleep forever. Liberation is the resilience to keep striving for my dreams, even though my future isn’t clear or promised. Liberation is how I choose to love myself wholly, despite my body not looking like the ones all over social media. I used to think liberation was something I needed to receive externally. Now I know, liberation has always been inside me, waiting for me to embrace it.