I was encaged.

at the filligree age of 13
I told my childhood friend I had fallen
for the way freckles fell like sawdust on her teacup skin
and
the way her lips blushed around a cigarette that always burned too
close to the filter

In that town, with bleeding jaw
town like funeral bells
all were straight until proven otherwise.
in that town
ALL WERE SAFE UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE.
In 1892
the word bisexual was first used for being sexually attracted to both
women and
men.

Bisexuality does not explain
falling in love with fire.

I've gotta crack things open
My skull
or everyone Else's
I I want to spill over everything I've been told
I want to be that ******
spew everything on the people it would hurt

when we walked down the alley that night
you smelled like cigarettes
                    and
                                    hair­ dye
something was happening
everywhere
                                but there
in the shadows,
I felt so hidden
comforted by the fact you could only just make out
                          the  face
I was so ashamed of.