This day a man is and tomorrow he
appeareth not: full soon shall this be fulfilled in
thee; look whether thou canst do otherwise.
(and when a man is OUT OF SIGHT HE SOON PASSETH OUT OF MIND).
IF YOU HAVE SEEN ANY MAN DIE THINK THAT YOUR-
SELF SHALL GO THE SAME WAY WHEREFORE BE
EVER READY AND LIVE SO THAT DEATH
FIND YOU NEVER UNREADY.
Keep thyself as a pilgrim
and a guest upon the
earth to whom belongeth nothing
of worldly business.
(colin mccahon)
do you think that going to sweden will solve your loneliness? do you think you'll find someone that will fix you?
you can't love. you're incapable. you can wish, but that's all you can keep steady.
you're fantasizing that a karlsson take you with him, along his journey to the nhl. you're fantasizing that he'll take you back to san jose, marry you, then leave you alone every other week
it sounds good, doesn't it? it really does.
but how real is it?
visby vosby vasby
i'll take a brand new taxi
to a little island off the coast
of uppsala and stockholm
vasby vosby visby
faster than a frisbee
spilling words upon the page
breaking free of this old cage
visby vabsy vosby
breaking wrists like crosby
skating fast, busted ass
i know i won't fucking last
visby vosby vabsy
isn't it funny, how things work out?
tonight your gender was on the table
for everyone to laugh at.
i know you thought of me.
how does it feel?
do you know how i feel now?
are you questioning yourself now?
do you know who you are now?
Yesterday, and the day before:
I didn't think of you at all.
But today, I punched a door,
and you appeared behind it.
You walked faster, I went slow
I stared at the ground
And wondered how you still make my heart
Pump so slightly faster
But this time, out of fear
Even though the worst you've ever said was “queer”
I knew you can still be so fucking violent.
That one day in Livermore,
someone called me faggot
You scolded them, then glanced at me—
I thought you were looking for approval,
but maybe, secretly, you agreed.
dear derek:
i think i was hurt so much because i thought i could imagine a future with you, because i believed in you so much, to become an nhl player. maybe i should've kept my crush on goldie instead.
dear grace:
i feel horrible for taking your firsts when i was trying to forget how i felt about someone else. you really do deserve someone better.
dear matt:
i miss you, i think, and i miss being passionate about the things that we liked. your hugs mightve been gangly but i still loved you.
dear blake:
i'm a fucking idiot. i don't know if you liked me or not but i liked you but i was convinced watching that pets movie with just the two of us was just hanging out, as friends
dear max:
i don't know if you're out there. but we had a good time together. let's go on a hike sometime.
dear maximilian:
i'm sure you are still in the area. thank you for being my friend.
dear river:
i hope you're well.
dear avery:
let yourself relax. be kind to yourself.
i shook your friend's hand—
he's my friend, too.
he looked me in the eye—
so why won't you?
i am tired of your tiptoe—
give it to me straight.
tell me, when did your love
become a kind of hate?
i may have crossed a line somewhere,
but god, just ask me nice.
i only asked about gambling,
i never rolled the dice.
the difference between you and me
is that when you get angry
you let everyone know
you hurt those around you
and make them feel the rage you have
when i get angry
nobody knows
i wish i can hurt you
and make you feel the pain you made
.
.
.
but instead i hurt myself.
i want girls to see me as another girl
i want guys to see me as another guy
but i am neither.
i am like my lesbian friends
i am like my gay friends
but i am neither.
this binary was not built
for people who look like me
i can't help but think i am incompatible—
or maybe just bisexual.
i read about tribal genders:
carnivore, cannibal. head hunter, dog eater.
i feel the thrill of belonging—
i am ancient, americans say
i am american, ancestors say
but i am neither.