i dont share a lot of my poetry with my family
it will shatter their existing image of me;
                                  of who they want me to be
im too gay in my writing
      too activist
      too deep
      too controversial
      too...
real
so i share it with strangers
all of you beautiful strangers whom i will never meet
because you understand me more
than people ive known my whole life
you appreciate my depth and we can share our
love, pain, and struggles
                                             together