Sense
Of
Community
In
A
Little

Meaningless
Electronic
Device
Is
­Appalling

When I was little
I was scared
Scared of the monsters living under my bed
I used to hide, under my blanket
Under my blanket, I was safe
The monsters couldn’t reach me under my blanket

My parents used to say
The monsters would go away
I would grow up and that then they would leave

But I grew up
And the monsters didn’t leave
Turns out my monsters, grew with me
Now instead of under my bed
The monsters live inside my head

So I hide, under my blanket
Where I think I am safe
Wondering if after all this time
My blanket can still keep the monsters at bay

Tell me brother, can you see?
Yes, I can see.
And then tell me, what do you see?
I see the fire waves of a red flaming sea.

Tell me brother, do you wish?
Yes, I wish.
And then tell me, what do you wish?
I wish be blind, black dawns and gray eyes.

Tell me brother, are you afraid?
Yes, I am afraid.
And then tell me, what are you afraid of?
I'm afraid of the lady silver moon and of his pearly neonate son.

Tell me brother, do you feel?
Yes, I fiercely feel.
And then tell me, what do you feel?
I feel my black dense blood like tar and the smell of brimstone in my nostril when I kneel.

Tell me brother, do you die?
Yes, we all do it.
So then brother, Am I dying?
Yes, it is categorical, every breath is a second less, a moment left.
Brother, I tell you that die is living.

Beauty;

Beauty brought me nothing.
But pain,
But false hope,
But abuse,
But fake love,
But striving for perfection,
But never reaching it,
But betrayal,
But hatred,
But mistrust,
But anger,
But deception,
But attention,
But not the sort I wanted.

Beauty,
created through society,
brought me nothing.
So I created my own Beauty.

I am so mad that I have to live in a world where
**** jokes are funny
catcalling is normal
touching with no permission is not a big deal
and where boys complain that they have to ask for consent

They said

her tongue is too big
for a pretty little mouth like that

They wanted to cut it
as if it will give me more freedom
Change my mind
Liberate my sleep

Then they said
tape your mouth shut
Rip it from your lips then
remember that sting every morning when you wake
Build up that grainy residue
So that no amount of scrubbing away will change anything

That raspy, hazy din of voice–
It’s not mine anymore when you let it invade your comfort

Whose grating is it then

when I bend and it works
Your move
then it just doesn’t?

I’ll rest in my autumn warmth
wait for the drowning of winter
then after
I will warn you of Spring