Poetry – anne taylor

body

When I was twelve a boy in my class told me I shouldn’t wear leggings to school And at first I didn’t understand but then I understood more than any pre-teen should from then on magazines and movies and the voices in my head confirmed the reason behind my constant feeling of dread and ultimatelyContinue reading “body”

white privilege

i’ve never needed to imagine if a jog, without any warning, would become the chase of my life and turn into a day of mourning i’ve never needed to imagine if an unproven accusation would strip the air from my lungs and choose my burial or cremation i’ve never needed to imagine if the colorContinue reading “white privilege”

e

look, I spent twenty years seeing only the best you could bring and we may have been going down a two-way street but I was driving the car while you put your feet on my dashboard and spun the radio knob to something you said I wanted to hear so it’s my fault I guessContinue reading “e”

forgiveness

I don’t think forgiveness is found when we throw a rightful blame when carefully crafted verbal darts are shot with justified aim I think it’s found when we step back from our fear of guilt and shame when you decide and I admit that all of us bleed the same

what it’s like

sometimes believing the sun will rise again seems as laughable as believing it won’t

“just talk about it”

when you haven’t spoken about something for a long time talking can feel like trying to open your mouth after it’s been stitched shut

I used to think

I used to think if only my edges had sharper corners if only the earth breathed on me more softly if only my lines were smoother if only gravity cared a little less if only I was her reflection if only I could be what she was I used to think one day I wouldContinue reading “I used to think”

fire

and like a fire you couldn’t touch me without becoming something you weren’t and I couldn’t touch you without getting burned

screens

so often I find myself pouring over pictures of happy faces overhearing light conversations watching casual giggles in the evening and think is it real are you smiling on the inside or are you like the rest of us wandering with a face that isn’t ours painting on what we need to dancing when theContinue reading “screens”

didn’t you know

didn’t you know you felt like a fireplace in the winter your cracks and hisses told me what I needed to hear you brought warmth to my soul you reflected in my eyes the way I suppose something is supposed to you were everything a fire needed to be and like a fire I couldn’tContinue reading “didn’t you know”