Be prepared for anything

For loss of lives with no reason
an imposed treason
on your very existence

You'll feel like you are
the blackest or the whitest man on earth
racism shoved down your throat
and the hate keeps coming

Peoples morals will be axed
principles thrown out the window
we'll do anything
to get everything

Tyranny will have allies
Your complains will be put
"under advisement"
for you matter not

then you'll truly know
order, brotherhood and love
was nothing but a speech
and speeches are for campaigning

So I say
you quickly and quietly
Open that can of coke
and drown your emotions on a failing heart
like you've been taught

Or open your eyes
to the deep slumber of disillusionment
you've been subjected to.

And then you'll know
for the sake of peace
you gave up your freedom

My gender
My ****** orientation
My disability
My problems
My colour of skin
My size
My voice
My place of origin
My clothes
My religion
My past
My mistakes
My label
Shouldn't be the determination of how you treat me

I’m gay I’m gay I’m gay I’m gay I'm gay
it kind of
spills off my tongue
when I don’t want it to
an
impulse
a
burning choke in my throat
falling out of me when I wish it would stay inside
when strangers are around
when
they really don’t need to know

it’s painted on my face
it’s written on the backs of my hands
my collarbone is burning white hot with a tell
and my eyes watering every secret of it

can they tell?
can everyone see right through me?
I’m
too scared to ask
somehow
also too scared to keep it inside

It wants out more than anything
but
she wants to be safe more than anything

when I began to write
poetry
all those years ago

I was amazed to find
that I even
had a voice.

It was a gift
that I never
hoped for.

I only shared light.

There is too much
darkness.

And then
little by little
I had to write
about the monsters
in the deep.

And my writing
got to be
unrecognizable.

Those couldn't be
my words.

Don't bury me
in a grave
in a big old box
I've known too much
darkness.

And so here I am
trying to balance
injury
with hope for a new future

That may be called
healing.