TO PREFACE: The dashes you see (-) throughout this page is just to show the different stanzas, they have NO significance to the poem other than to separate the stanzas.
Originals for the Peer Review:
1: Social Implications
Wanting to be one with the whole
Wanting to understand
Becoming a husk of yourself
Coming to the end of each day
Before you drift to sleep wondering,
Why was I made this way?
–
The expectation to adhere to the norm
To love the “opposite” gender
The expectation to have sex
To require a partner
When you do not identify with
Anything
2: Untitled
Alone
Wading through a thick fog
Searching for a sense of individuality
Between the folds of my brain
Yet tying everything back
To someone that is not me
3: Untitled- maybe Relief
You’d knock on my door
Releasing the mechanism
Allowing the tension to pour in from the hallway
But your eye is bright
Peeking in with caution
Your eyebrow tossed upward with worry
–
You’d turn the light on
And tiptoe across the carpet
So mom wouldn’t hear
And you’d sit gently next to my feet
–
We would whisper
We would laugh
And we could cry
Hugging, advising,
And reassuring each other
–
I always felt alone
In my thoughts
My sadness
My anger
And then you’d knock
4: To My Love
You are my second star to the right
The brightest in my sky
Reflecting your contagious light to me
Upon my unwavering eyes I gaze
Your beauty warms my skin
Each and every night since
your presence graced my being
5. I Believe
I have always believed
Everyone finds their person eventually
How could I not believe that?
Everyone around me
Everyone in movies and tv
Even in the books I read
They’ve all found their person
Everyone but me
–
I have always believed
Everyone finds their person
But I’ve been alive long enough
Watching my friends find their person
While I reach for a hand that is not there
I look for them in the crowd
Only to never find their gaze
And remember
I still have not found them
–
I had always believed
Everyone finds their person.
I feel I will find mine
I know I will
I have seen our life together
Gentle, wonderful, and miraculous
Each day I wait for you to cross my path
My longing grows stronger
But I know one day
My life will become my dreams
First Revisions (Minus “I Believe” since I’m using it for Exercise 3):
1: Social Implications
Wanting to be one with the whole
Wanting to understand everything
But nothing at all
More so
Becoming a husk of yourself
Each passing day
Drifting to sleep wondering,
Why was I made like this?
Why do I think like this?
Are there others who think like this?
–
The natural adherence to the norm
Born from anxiety and fear
Of being ridiculed for our differences
In presentation
In thinking
In loving
–
Loving the “opposite” gender
The expectation to have sex
The requirement a partner
When you do not identify with
Anything
2: One
Alone
Wading through the thick fog
That lingers here, dark, damp, almost viscous
Searching for a sense of individuality
Between the folds of my brain
Yet I tie everything back
Each story
Each inflection
Each mannerism
To someone that is not me
3: Relief
You’d knock on my door
Releasing the mechanism
Allowing the tension to pour in from the hallway
But your eye is bright
Peeking in with caution
Eyebrows tossed upward with worry
–
You’d turn my bedroom light on
And tiptoe across the carpet
So mom couldn’t hear
And sit gently next to my feet
Placing yourself in the all too familiar dent
At the foot of my bed
–
We would whisper
We would laugh
And we could cry
Hugging, advising,
And reassuring each other
–
All these years
I always felt alone
In my thoughts
My sadness
My anger
And then you’d knock
4: To My Love
You are the second star to the right
The brightest in my sky
Reflecting your contagious light to me
Upon my unwavering eyes I gaze
The twinkling rays rain onto me
Luring me out of the darkness I hide in
–
Your beauty warms my skin
Each and every night since
your soul graced my life
I have slowly been getting brighter
Distancing myself from the darkness
I used to hold so dearly
Starting to see my own light
Emanating from my smile
For the first time in my life
Second Revisions:
1: Social Implications
Wanting to be one with the whole
Wanting to understand everything
But knowing nothing at all
More so
You become a husk of yourself
More specifically, your past self
–
Each passing day
You’re drifting to sleep wondering,
Why was I made like this?
Why do I think like this?
Are there others who think like me?
–
The natural adherence to the norm
Born from anxiety and fear
Of being ridiculed for our differences
In presentation
In thinking
In loving
–
Loving the “opposite” gender
The expectation to have sex
The requirement of a partner
When you do not identify with
Anything the norm suggests
2: One
Alone
Wading through the thick fog
Lingering here, dark, damp, almost viscous
The thin beam of my torch
Like a spotlight it searches tirelessly
–
Searching for a sense of individuality
Between the folds of my brain
Yet I tie everything back
Each story
Each inflection
Each mannerism
To an origin not of my own design
3: Relief
You’d knock on my door
Releasing the mechanism
Allowing the tension to pour in from the hallway
But your eye is bright
Peeking in with caution
Eyebrows tossed upward with worry
–
You’d turn my bedroom light on
And tiptoe across the carpet
So mom couldn’t hear
And sit gently next to my feet
Placing yourself in the all too familiar dent
At the foot of my bed
–
We would whisper
We would laugh
And we could cry
Hugging, advising,
And reassuring each other
–
All these years
I always felt alone
In my thoughts
My sadness
My anger
And then you’d knock.
4: To My Love
You are the second star to the right
The brightest in my sky
Reflecting your contagious light to me
Upon my unwavering eyes, I gaze,
The twinkling rays rain onto me
Luring me out of the darkness I hide in
–
Your beauty warms my skin
Each and every night since
I have slowly begun to brighten
Distancing myself from the darkness
I used to hold so dearly
Starting to see my own light
Emanating from my smile
For the first time in my life
Third Revisions:
1: Social Implications
Wanting to be one with the whole
Wanting to understand them
But knowing it’s impossible
As you become a husk of yourself
–
Each passing day
Drifting to sleep wondering,
Why was I made like this?
Why do I think like this?
Are there others who think the same?
–
The natural adherence to the norm
Born from anxiety and fear
Fear of being ridiculed for
Our presentation
Our thinking and words
Our mere existence
2: Alone
Wading through the thick fog
Lingering here, dark, damp, almost viscous
The thin beam of my torch
Like a spotlight, it searches tirelessly
–
Searching for a sense of individuality
Between the folds of my brain
Yet I tie everything back
Each story
Each inflection
Each mannerism
To an origin not of my own design
3: Relief
You’d knock on my door
Releasing the mechanism
Allowing the tension to pour in from the hallway
But your eye is bright
Peeking in with caution
Eyebrows tossed upward with worry
–
You’d turn my bedroom light on
And tiptoe across the carpet
So mom couldn’t hear
And sit gently next to my feet
Placing yourself in the all too familiar dent
At the foot of my bed
–
We would whisper
We would laugh
And we could cry
Hugging, advising,
And reassuring each other
–
All these years
I always felt alone
In my thoughts
My sadness
My anger
And then you’d knock.
4: To My Love
You are the second star to the right
the brightest in my sky.
You reflect your contagious light to me
and upon my unwavering eyes, I gaze into it.
Serving as a beacon, you lure me like a moth
as I abandon the darkness I usually hide in.
–
Your beauty warms my skin
each and every night since.
I have slowly begun to brighten,
distancing myself from the darkness
I used to hold so dearly.
Starting to see my own light
emanating from my smile
for the first time in my life.
Fourth Revisions:
1: Social Implications
Wanting to be one with the whole
Trying to understand them
Begging to be like them
But knowing it’s impossible
–
Each passing day
Drifting to sleep wondering,
Why was I made like this?
Why do I think like this?
Are there others who think the same?
–
The natural adherence to the norm
Born from anxiety and fear
The fear of being ridiculed for
Our presentation
Our thinking
Our mere existence
2: Alone
Wading through the thick fog
Lingering here, dark, damp, almost viscous
Accompanied by the thin beam of my torch
Like a spotlight, it searches tirelessly
Searching for a sense of individuality
Between the folds of my brain
Yet I tie everything back
Each story, inflection, each mannerism
To an origin not of my own design
3: Relief
You’d knock on my door
Releasing the mechanism
Allowing the tension to pour in from the hallway
But your eye is bright
Peeking in with caution
Eyebrows tossed upward with worry
–
You’d turn my bedroom light on
And tiptoe across the carpet
So mom couldn’t hear
And sit gently next to my feet
Placing yourself in the all too familiar dent
At the foot of my bed
–
We would whisper
We would laugh
And we could cry
Hugging, advising,
And reassuring each other
–
All these years
I always felt alone
In my thoughts
My sadness
My anger
And then you’d knock.
4: To My Love
You are my second star to the right
the brightest in my sky.
You reflect your contagious light to me
and upon my unwavering eyes, I gaze into it.
Serving as a beacon, you lure me like a moth
as I abandon the darkness I usually hide in.
–
Your beauty warms my skin
each and every night.
I have slowly begun to brighten,
distancing myself from the darkness
I used to hold so dearly.
Starting to see a little light
emanating from my own smile
for the first time in my life.
