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Apr 6 · 31
Your love
Arlen Apr 6
Your love confines me
Tells me who I ought to be
Your love is quicksand
Rising all around me

Your love is darkness
One moment it never seems to end
But then the sun rises
And it is gone again

Your love is roses
It seems pretty from the outside
But when I inspect it
Thorns ***** me inside

Your love is the last chip
I take it from the bag
But it never fulfills me
And the aftertaste makes me gag

Your love is conditional
And I can't take it anymore
So I'm taking back the key
I gave you to my life's door
Learning to put myself first
Mar 13 · 141
I can, I can't
Arlen Mar 13
I can feel my body breaking
in the tiredness of my bones
I can feel my body breaking
in the heaviness of my clothes

I can feel myself letting go
of what I used to dream
I can feel myself letting go
as the apathy rises around me

I can feel my mind shattering
as he tells me what he thinks
I can feel my mind shattering
as our friendship starts to sink

I can feel so much
but I still don't seem to care
I can feel so much
in the distance that is there

I can't let myself feel this way
in the long-range
I can't let myself feel this way
it's time to make some change
Arlen Mar 9
Mother told me I was a girl
In the clothes, she bought me to wear
Mother told me I was a girl
In the way she did my hair

Mother told me I was a girl
Because society told her so
Mother told me I was a girl
Because trans people weren't shown

Society told me I was a girl
And said that's all I could be
Society told me I was a girl
But that doesn't feel like me

Society told me I was a girl
That anything else would be a lie
Society told me I was a girl
And I felt a part of me die

Jamie Raines showed me
That I could be a man
Jamie Raines showed me
I'm not too hard to understand

Jamie Raines showed me
Something I'd buried deep within
Jamie Raines showed me
My existence isn't sin

The trans* people before me
Showed me I could exist
The trans* people before me
Showed me that not everyone is cis

The trans* people before me
I owe so very much
The trans* people before me
They have been my crutch
1 month on testosterone, life is looking up :)
Mar 7 · 420
Masculinity
Arlen Mar 7
I don't want the kind of masculinity
That drives dads to hide their tears
That tells little boys it is wrong
To express their fears

I don't want the kind of masculinity
That says expressing emotions is wrong
I want to be the kind of man
That knows expressing emotions is strong

I don't want the kind of masculinity
That says there is only one kind of man
We can come in all shapes and sizes
Why is that so hard to understand?

I don't want the kind of masculinity
That pushes me aside
Even if I was born different then some others
I know who I am inside
Mar 2 · 274
Old Man
Arlen Mar 2
Old man, you left me there
Floating, drowning in the sea
So now that I've finally made it back to land
Don't pretend you still know me
Feb 28 · 117
Body
Arlen Feb 28
This body is not my home
The words you use for me are not my own
So, please don't presume to know me
As you see my passing by
What lies beneath the surface
Is more than what meets
Society's eye
Feb 24 · 168
I Deserved Better
Arlen Feb 24
Whenever I needed you
You faded away
When he insulted my identity
You let his words stay

You said you support me
Then why wouldn't you speak
Why when he said his venom
Were you suddenly meek?

I thought you were my friend
But now I'm letting you go
If you won't defend me
Then you're someone I no longer wish to know
Good riddance
Feb 21 · 200
Not quite dead
Arlen Feb 21
The name is not quite dead
Sometimes it still falls from my own lips
But one day soon
Things will change
I'll send out the bullet
Then the name can lay
Within the tomb
Mar 2022 · 4.2k
i am
Arlen Mar 2022
i am not a vibrant ocean blue
nor as pink as the sunset sky

i am not the daughter you watched grow
nor will i ever be a guy

i am not anything you said I'd be
instead, I am simply me
Feb 2022 · 2.5k
show me my colour
Arlen Feb 2022
i've lived so long
being told that i was pink
but i've come to realize
i've never seen that colour
within myself
Feb 2022 · 2.1k
Cis-story
Arlen Feb 2022
Will I always be the sidenote
In someone else's story
The enby kid pushed to the edges
Away from the glory

Will I always be a supporting role
In every tale that's told
Or will I ever get to be the one
With greater representation shown
Feb 2022 · 2.6k
Numb
Arlen Feb 2022
Every single moment
Of every single day
Even when I'm happy
The madness won't stay away

For with every passing minute
I feel it all slip away
And instead of being sad
There's a numbness that stays
Jan 2022 · 392
2022
Arlen Jan 2022
Dear 2022,

I will try to have hope for you.
I will try to hold you near.
I will try to love you.
And in return please be a dear.
Please don't let them hurt me.
Please hold me when my tears fall.
Please be there for me through it all.

And when it gets tough.
Let there be goodness.
Let there be love too.
And let hope blossom anew.
If you could do this.
We would all be extremely, entirely,
gratefully indebted to you.  

Sincerely,
Those hoping for something new
Here's to hoping for a good 2022
Jan 2022 · 1.0k
Asexuality
Arlen Jan 2022
They tell me I'm missing out
That I should find a person to be my home
But I am not lacking
I am whole
All on my own
🖤🤍♡💜
Dec 2021 · 2.6k
Not Quite
Arlen Dec 2021
I'm not quite lying when I say who I am
I'm skirting around the truth
And dropping hints within the sand

I'm not quite sure I have ever met myself
For with each passing moment
It seems I have become someone else

I'm not quite sure I can call myself a girl
For there's a rock within my stomach
That sometimes surfaces with the word
Jul 2021 · 516
Bottle Talk
Arlen Jul 2021
In the big red house
Lives a man of many words
Usually delightful
But with each bottle
The meaning and intentions blur

And once the bottles gone
No matter how polite
There's still a lingering memory
Of his words
From past
Drunken nights
Jul 2021 · 285
Ocean
Arlen Jul 2021
You were my ocean
And I was your sandy shore
But then your tide came in
And I was no more
Jul 2021 · 578
The Kitchen
Arlen Jul 2021
On the floorboards
In the kitchen
One evening in the fall
Is where it all began to go wrong

As I stood there washing dishes
Beside me, he droned on
Each word, he nailed into me
Punctured deep into my skin
So forever and always
They would be lodged within

Water kept on flowing
From the facet
Drip, drip, drip
It wasn't until later
That the tears began to slip

A stranger came by after
Say hello, I did not do
And with that decision
More words were told anew

This time it was the father
Nailing words into my skin
Disrespectful, ungrateful
Might be packing up real soon

And so came the nights
Restless, tossing, turning
Scrolling through
Nearby homeless shelters
In case I got the boot

And even as the days passed by
And the days turned into months
I could never repair
The broken shards of my trust

So, even though I still live here
It will never be my home
When I still have to do dishes
In the room
Where it all began to go wrong
This has been sitting in my drafts folder for months and I finally decided to post it..
Jun 2021 · 679
Father
Arlen Jun 2021
I felt your tidal wave of expectations
Flowing down on me
I thought it was a miracle I didn't drown
You told me I should have built a boat
Sometimes just getting by is okay.
Jun 2021 · 628
Pride
Arlen Jun 2021
Red is the rage I feel when the hatred gets too much
Orange is the good days when I find people I can trust
Yellow is the community shining down on me
Green is the new members letting their sexuality or gender identity sprout free
Blue is the sky that can never limit us
Purple is the pride for the rainbow in each and every one of us
Happy Pride Month!
🌈🌈🌈🌈
Apr 2021 · 354
Anion
Arlen Apr 2021
If like repels like
Why has my negativity
Opened the door
To yours
Apr 2021 · 1.1k
Okay
Arlen Apr 2021
.
"Are
   You okay,"
  They ask. "Of
Course," I always
reply. And never once
has a single living being
ever taken the time. To call
out my blatant lies. Until
today. And suddenly
the tears fall
free.
Apr 2021 · 538
Accept
Arlen Apr 2021
You say you can't be changed
That one's mind cannot be bent
So why is it
That my mind
Has learned
To accept that you will never
Begin to comprehend
Or accept
Who I am
❤🧡💛💚💙💜
Apr 2021 · 414
Worlds Apart
Arlen Apr 2021
We'll always be worlds apart
Every moment of the day
For even when you're beside me
Your mind is racing away

We'll always be two passing cars
On this ever-winding road
Until all that's left of you and me
Is distance long foretold

You'll always be my shooting star
I can see you streaking by
And in a blink, you're gone
Before I can even say goodbye

You'll always be my world
And I know that I'm yours too
But there's a universe out there
And we're explorers, me and you
Apr 2021 · 687
Stand Together
Arlen Apr 2021
Don't stand so tall and mighty
Under the weight of those you've wronged
For one day they might not be so helpless
And as the collective rises
You alone will fall
Apr 2021 · 1.8k
He
Arlen Apr 2021
He
Every word he said
Lives rent-free inside my mind
So when I lay awake
It's his words
Spilling from my eyes

Every word he said
Has been burned into my skin
So even when he's not around
He's still an itch
I must abide

Every word he said
Courses through my veins
So when my blood is spilt
It's his tainted words
That will leave a stain behind
Apr 2021 · 382
Doors
Arlen Apr 2021
In the doors, I come
To a house, I don't belong
And yet, this place feels more like home
Then the place I call my own
Apr 2021 · 395
Every Word
Arlen Apr 2021
I remember every word he said
It's been drilled into my head

I remember every word he said
As I lay restless in my bed

I remember every word he said
But I wish I could forget
Jun 2020 · 159
My RAINBOW
Arlen Jun 2020
I've been living my life
In the shadows
Seeking a world
Where my rainbow can show
When the whole time
I've been living there
Happy end of pride month
❤💛💚💙💜
Feb 2020 · 132
Legacy
Arlen Feb 2020
Your life
Lives on through me
Every moment of the day
For when I'm asked
"What makes life worth living"
It's always you
That I'll say
We miss you ♡
Dec 2019 · 183
Past
Arlen Dec 2019
I thought I loved you
I thought I cared
Until one night
I turned around
And realized
It was just you shadow
Standing there
Some people aren't meant to stay in your life.
Nov 2019 · 160
Every Moment
Arlen Nov 2019
Every month
Of every year
I still care

Every week
Of every month
I still miss you

Every day
Of every week
I still see you

Every hour
Of every day
I still need you

Every minute
Of every hour
I still cry for you

Every moment
Of every future day
I still love you
I miss you mom.
Aug 2019 · 288
Behind
Arlen Aug 2019
I lay awake
Cry for their sake
But not on the outside
My tears flow
From the inside
Numb thoughts fill my mind
As I wonder why
Why I cry
When I know
The worst day is behind
I know people say time heals all wounds, but I think they forget that it usually gets worse before it gets better.
Jul 2019 · 350
Anymore
Arlen Jul 2019
I loved you
I missed you
But I don't miss you
Anymore
That's how it is sometimes.
Jun 2019 · 353
I Love You
Arlen Jun 2019
I love you
Even if you don't care
I love you
Even through my despair
I love you
Even if you're never there
But I mostly love you
For the times
You looked me in the eyes
And I saw your presence there
May 2019 · 379
Smile
Arlen May 2019
I smile...
      
     You make                                     I smile
      me smile                                    when we
     when you                                   breath the
        laugh                                        same air


I smile                                               when you're       
  here, or when                               you're there
     and ***' I see                  you everywhere.
       But then comes         despair. Because
            I love you so much. And you
                       don't even care
(:(
Apr 2019 · 481
Held Me
Arlen Apr 2019
You held me                          
In your arms                    
Then let me go

You held me
In your arms
Then let me grow

You held me
In your arms
And I loved you more
Than you could ever know

Then I watched you fall apart
And held you close
Then I watched you fall apart
And had to let you go
Dedicated to my mom ♥
Apr 2019 · 462
Women
Arlen Apr 2019
Your crazy
The men say
And I say
No

We're women
We work hard
We are strong and divine

And if you don't know that
Then you belong
In no world of mine
This obviously doesn't apply to every single guy out there. So, thank you to the men who spend their time supporting women.
Apr 2019 · 16.8k
Mom
Arlen Apr 2019
Mom
I love you now
I loved you then
If you were here I'd say it again
Apr 2019 · 340
GOLD
Arlen Apr 2019
I'm not sorry
And you should understand
That just because I'm not winning gold
Doesn't mean I'm not striving
To reach the end
The end always seem so far away,
But we keep going day by day.
Apr 2019 · 1.5k
Reaching
Arlen Apr 2019
Reaching for worlds I've never known
Reaching for people I hardly know
Reaching for heights unknown
But mostly reaching for a hand to hold
Apr 2019 · 482
Birthday
Arlen Apr 2019
Today we celebrate
An awesome woman's birth
We look to her empty chair

And we smile
Mouths curve open
But our eyes reflect despair

For it's another birthday past
When we celebrate
Without the birthday girl there
Apr 2019 · 560
Forever
Arlen Apr 2019
I've lost faith in forever
And have come to accept
That what we had is now
A never
Mar 2019 · 199
Forgotten how to Forget
Arlen Mar 2019
You looked me in the eyes
And I felt myself
Words buckled behind my chin
As I tried to keep my feelings within

Weeks passed
And I tried to forget
Those hateful words forever locked in my head

You say you want respect
But isn't respect earned
And how can I respect the man
Who pointed me to the curb

And I get your trying
But don't you think I'm trying too
And if I'm unearthed
Don't you think there's something better you could try and do

Because even if the words weren't meant
To be heard that way
I still don't know
Why those words
Are the ones you chose to say
Mar 2019 · 306
Understand
Arlen Mar 2019
I'm not broken
Just hard to understand
And I often see my words unspoken
And feel the bitterness will never end

So, even if I wonder
How far my legs will stand
I still know
That I'm not broken
Just hard to understand
Nov 2018 · 233
Wordless
Arlen Nov 2018
Words stop
Throat shouts
Head whirls
Reality curls

Tears could be shed
In front of their heads
And then they'd know
How deep the hole goes

So I hold it in
Only letting them reach brim
And I pause my head
Check reality instead
I wrote this a while ago
Nov 2018 · 576
Love
Arlen Nov 2018
I love you more than words can say
More than actions could convey
And more than
Anyone could every say
They love you
I miss you
Oct 2018 · 239
Nothing LOST
Arlen Oct 2018
You're not gone
But living through my veins
So when people ask where you are
I say nothing really changed

Though you're gone
Your memories fill us
With join and pain alike
But that's how we know
That you lived a successful life
Oct 2018 · 244
Empty Space
Arlen Oct 2018
It was only when I turned to call your name
That I remembered you were gone away
Lost through time
I need to stop living
In this lie
Sep 2018 · 375
Words
Arlen Sep 2018
I don't see myself in words
But rather in the landscapes of our world
The things that surround my soul
And make me and this world whole

I don't see myself in words
For their meanings ******* me
Wrap me in their hold
Try to confine me
When there's still so many words untold

I don't see myself in words
For those words aren't every part
They're only some of who you see

And there's no words to describe
All the things
That set me free
Don't let words define you.
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