Words Of a Feather

I stand on the podium after all my hard work

All the time I spent to prove myself

I get 2nd place

The silver medal is hung on my neck

 The weight of defeat carries me down like an anchor

The bitter taste of silver in my mouth like rocks and lemons

I hear white noise for second place, only hearing praise for the winner

Them, doused in gold as if they were touched by Midas

Higher than the rest of us

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No, I wasn’t their second fiddle

I was their second piano

All I could play was the piano and the viola

Countless hours spent pounding my fingers on the keys

Itching my fingers on the strings of talent

Only for them to shine brighter

Bright enough to drown out my music

Piano, flute, voice, and guitar

The glorious, silver tint of the flute

Mocking me, as it was the only time

I didn’t get that resented silver

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When I rose my hand, they rose higher

When I jumped, they soared

When I performed, they stole the show

Leaving me to wallow in their shadow

And sometimes they beat me at my own game

I would finally do something recognizable and it’s as if I’m a ghost or a shadow

With no one to notice or even wonder what I accomplished

And when we were together, performing glorious feats

All eyes were on them

Not even silver this time

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They always got everything

All the golden opportunities

The golden lovers

The golden, clear face and golden outfits

The golden friends that I could never touch

And the silver would choke me

The silver chains dragged me to the depths of ignorance

It was the silver cupcake to the golden cake

The silver heart to the golden body

The silver city to the golden country

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In the end, the gold was malleable

It molded itself into whatever it desired

But was hard enough to seem untouchably flawless

And was always admired

While the silver was also soft and easy to manipulate

And had multiple abilities and uses

But was cheaper and less of value

Left in the mines to turn to dust