Overlord

Shake of the hand,

the sinister in your eye

“Who’re you again?”

No, you don’t even have to try.

Cloaks of integrity

hidden

in delicious sight.

Relentless principles reigning down,

our stepping stones

soon become

broken bones.

The principal is near.

Look!

Another overlord

I’m supposed to fear?

A half-hearted “anything you need from me?”

An empty “anything I can do?”

Except appreciate

everything

we already do.

Chiefs left and right,

You hire us all

with plans to smite.

Reluctance in your smile,

Superiority in your disguise,

No!

My soul is not yours to buy.

Cardiac Tamponade

Bandaids

won’t fix

this bullet hole.

Scars can’t disguise

this once barren soul.

You won’t see me.

You can’t listen.

Never

will we both glimmer, or glisten

Bandaids won’t cover

this gaping hole

Not he

Not we

No.

It’ll never be she.

What’s lost

in gritted compromise,

is now

willful demise.

Please,

mother?

…is this all we’ll ever be?

Into the Sunset

Steady are the hands I find in the dirt.

Steady are the joys I can’t help but blurt.

Wide-eyed in wonder,

this

is how the anxious surrenders.

Catching my breath, I know — now,

that love isn’t supposed to hurt.

Once a shapeshifter, always a survivor,

no more — do I allow myself to run into fire.

Long accustomed to nothing,

today’s celebration in full swing,

this is grounding in action,

allowing differences

without

a bitter reaction.

Letting myself be known,

at last.

Oh — my love,

It’s remarkable how much you’ve grown.

Lemon-Lime, Losing Time

Tart on Tuesday

Bitter in shivers

mind, in disarray

The gap,

between wanting and capacity

the inevitable one off,

lost in wanderlust.

How many neurotypical wannabes

and hopeful morning maybes

will it take

to stop expecting

lemonade, from a lime?

What will it take,

to stop wasting time?

Will I make peace

with dysfunction?

Can I sip lemonade, as it is?

Missed appointments, scheduling mishaps, can’t find my travel shampoo

Damn it!

I keep slipping on my shower shoes.

Pants sticking to my legs

Great, look at all the weight I’ve regained.

UGH!

Pants sticking to my thighs,

UGH!

When will I stop and realize?

Lemonade from a lime,

here we go again

losing time.

Living to the frugal edge,

when will missteps

be the last thing I dredge?

Squeeze harder,

push farther,

square peg into a round hole.

Shouldn’t I know by now

how to manage the toll?

It’s not worth it

if it’s imperfect!

No fifty in sight

One, two, three, four

it’s okay to struggle more.

Four, three, two, one,

but still there’s so much to be done.

Lemon-lime, who cares if I wasted time.

Lemonade, you’re not a lime

No

My neurodivergence

need not be

a self-fulfilling crime.

Meal For One

Friendship served

on a silver platter

meal for one

UGH!

No more frivolous splatters!

You said,

“hope you look out for yourself,

don’t want you out of a job”

But I don’t think

you mean it.

My oh my,

I think you’re full of shit.

It’s almost as if

you want me

to stay

here, forever.

In silver hearts

and plastic starts

I await

your inevitable depart

Longing

for a dandelion friend.

Coming up for air,

once again

giving me the bends.

I wanted it

to be you

I should’ve known

you were too good to be true

Friendship served

on a bronze platter,

another meal for one.

To you,

I’m sure I hardly matter.