on a weeknight at a bookstore
in the city of miami,
spring semester, freshman year
of commuter college
as it came to be.

teens hurt, express rage
inflicting our planet’s pain
on those their own age.

from an anthropology project
i knew one of the girls who called
me disgusting for being
me, something that i wasn’t
yet used to hearing.

the one with the magenta hair led
the assault. femininity
homosexuality
and their disgust with me
they could not let be.

teens hurt, express rage
inflicting our planet’s pain
on those their own age.

black bean soup covered the windshield of
my jeep, another target for
their hate. Humiliated,
i sped off in tears while
they laughed and they jeered.

hosing down my dirty windshield in
the driveway of my parents house
i’d never felt so ashamed
of myself for being
gay before that day.

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