I remember when I first met you,
We were at the library,
Our eyes met between shelves
That was dusty and you sneezed.
We laughed and talked
And at that time,
When you told me your stories,
Page by page, I know **** well
That you are my favorite book,
You are my favorite fairytale.

He smiles with the graces of crumbling eyebrows,
with wit, megalithic in the cavern behind
his unformed eyes; i lowered mine, seeking
elsewhere—that here as i sleep, he is formed
from half memory.

The better part of me
remembers him in increments, steadily handed

our orchard, our healthy fruit. His arms overladen
with fibrous molten undulating movement,
a cacophonous cocoon for my madness’

half love. The truer part of me
remembers him as mountainous, thunderous,
a storm eating into the distances. arms
kneading throughout time, becoming. stone.

learn to cradle yourself
in your own arms,

be strong, because
your mother loves you, and your
sisters love you,
                             more than i
can ever say.

and…
your body is not temple, because
you exist to survive.
so cherish yourself, and one day,
someone else will…

and it won’t be painful, the
way that things are painful
now.

so bear your teeth,
                                 but wear a crown,
you shouldn’t
bite yourself just to cry...

I loved you before
we kissed

before I saw the way that
moonlight sat on your
soft features

I wanted you before
you held me in your arms

before our legs entwined
making a sculpture that
would stand the test
of time

I think I loved you
before I ever learnt
to love myself

you were the first person
to show me kindness
and I took my fix of it
just like any drug

I think I loved you
before we were even born

When people accuse me
of being abnormal
because I think for myself,
I steadfastly continue to think for myself
as I am aware
that thinking for myself
is the only way
that a unique me
in my unique situation
can achieve
my own unique joy and happiness.

Is joyful and happy
love
never brutal
and always kind?

When someone is antagonising
my joy and happiness,
I do my best
to remain calm and unperturbed,
and refocus my mind
on calmly striving to achieve
my joy and happiness.