I told my coming out story to the good people at Project Contrast. PC is a wonderful non-profit organization that helps give a voice to LGBTQ+ people around the world. Enjoy!
https://projectcontrast.org/stories/2020/3/12/raven
Blood on Your Fingers
The word no
needs no translation
or legislation
just listen for
the resistance
and
know
tears and resistance
are never
signs of
submission
we never accepted
the position
you forced
us into
because
we know
you will one day
claim that we
really wanted it
as if though
we can’t
differentiate
between
love rape hate
Did you notice
how I
avoided you?
Why did no one
notice
the blood
on your
fingers? Or how
I worked hard
not to
be
alone
with you?
Forced fucking
is not
a solid
basis
for a relationship.
I never
thought you
loved me or
wanted me or
cared for me or
wanted to do
anything but
fuck me and
leave
and I
never thought
no
could ever
be translated into
me giving
my approval
for you to
use your power
to forcefully
fuck
me.
Peace & Love,
Rosalind
*Note from the poet: I am…
View original post 63 more words
Poem Reminiscing about when Love was True
If I’m completely honest
with myself
I would finally admit that I
miss dearly
that time when I could love openly
that time when love
glowed on my face like the sun
on a summer afternoon
when every day was summer
and winter was far away
A time when words flowed
from my pen like water and
poems bloomed like flowers in my garden
Love once presented me with a bouquet
of poems and I
sometimes still hold them
in my hands, careful to avoid
the thorns
Who would ever believe it was
once okay to long
for love and to feel it reciprocated
I remember longing for love
on a Sunday afternoon
Caress me with your eyes.
Finger my soul, open it
as if though it were the
opening of my sex accepting you.
Fully. Washing me over in waves,
a desire to know you like no other.
I…
View original post 278 more words
The Most Beautiful Lie
The most beautiful lie
is the one that
never feels like a lie
Sometimes there are no words
to replace what’s been lost as a
beautiful lie exposed becomes truth
But the beauty of the lie
makes it impossible to regret;
every smile every sigh every exhale
Belongs in the world of the beautiful lie
without shame without denial where
Words once were poetry and smiles were
1980s love songs; how easy it was to get lost
how easy it was to not be found
Out. That’s the beauty of a lie that doesn’t
feel like it at the time. You can look back
on it without sorrow because
The most beautiful lie
is one that
never feels like a lie.
Peace & Love,
Rosalind
The Break Up or What Never Really Was
He said
Just because you can
doesn’t mean you should
leave
She said
Any place that destroys me
destroys my soul, I don’t belong
He said
Sometimes it’s best to stay
Sometimes you have to hold on
a little longer
She said
Hope doesn’t heal a soul
that’s been destroyed. That’s why
I never would’ve destroyed you.
Not even a little bit
He said
I never tried to hurt you and
I most certainly didn’t want to destroy
you
She said
It happened too easily
He said
I want to stay and fight
She said
I don’t want an angry love
I need a love that’s soft
He said
Love is about sacrifice
She said
My greatest act of rebellion was learning
to love myself. I will not lose myself
fighting for a love that’s too hard for me
to handle
He said
Love isn’t easy
She said
It was…
View original post 61 more words
The Chameleon
I wear fear
like the color
of my skin. So much
a part of me.
The Chameleon.
Settling inside skin
too little for me
to move in. Trapped.
Trying to fool you
with boasts of
being unafraid.
Like fear was never
encapsulated
in the seed
of our love.
Fear wears many
disguises. The masks
hiding what can
clearly be seen.
Like when you’re holding
me, and I try
to etch the feeling of
us in love over the veins
of our existence.
Something to live
beyond us.
Which fear am I
hiding? The fear that’s
etched in my memory
or the fear that gathers
like clouds while
you’re lying
on top of me.
Diminishing.
And my role becomes
the watcher: me looking
beyond you to see
what the view
will look like
when you’re gone.
Foolishly
I believed you would
try to stop me.
(Not really, I didn’t.)
That you…
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Bitter Fruit
standing on the razor blade
of indecision
she was afraid to move
forward. the past
taught her that love was
a bitter piece of fruit
that grew in a tree
up out of her reach.
one step forward to grab
what she could see,
not feel
could break her or just break
her heart
and the memory
of the pain of love, the
pain she felt before when she
dared to love
kept her balancing
on the razor edge
of indecision
where the only possibility
was that she would
cut her own self
bear the fruit of her
own misery
Peace & Love,
Rosalind
Fuck You
I want to offer commentary, but then again I don’t. So I won’t. Today’s poem:
How could you not miss
the simple act of love’s kiss?
He didn’t stop to kiss you
Did you not feel cheated
when he shot from the car
like a bullet from a gun?
I guess being fucked must be fun
because he fucked you tonight
and ran from the scene of the crime
like a thief in the night.
Out of sight
Out of mind.
But his semen was swimming
in you even though he won’t dare
be seen in public with you.
You spread your legs open wide
gave the most precious part of you
to someone who doesn’t love you
probably doesn’t even like you.
A convenient relief and
temporary escape from the knife blade
edge of insanity, the place where he
built a life with a woman he doesn’t love
but…
View original post 87 more words
Love
People are so quick to say I love you. Because it feels good to say. But if it only feels good to say and doesn’t feel good to show, maybe it’s not really love. Maybe it’s something else altogether different from love. Like guilt. Or control. Or I don’t know what. Just something else.
Today’s poem contains only five words:
Love is not a weapon.
Peace & Love,
Rosalind
Promises…
Recently I vowed to myself that I would stay away from Social Media (I only gave in four IMPORTANT times). Within those two months, I have learned a lot about life, ‘friends,’ ‘family,’ and myself. So I have decided that my No Social Media promise no longer benefits me…Here’s what I learned:
1. There are certain things you’ll never forget, certain people you’ll never forgive and certain situations in which you’ll never speak of.
2. You have no reason to be upset with people for who they are or who they reveal themselves to be. No matter who or what they are, they have a right to be it. (You don’t have to like it).
3. There comes a time in life, when you just have to stop caring and love yourself more than you love anyone else…I’ve reached that point. So, I hope no one takes it personal, when I choose not to play their games, summit to their ideas (especially, of me) or when I act like I just don’t care. ‘Cause chances are, I don’t.
4. Everyone is not your amigo (even ‘family,’ sometimes). (This realization has taken me too long to figure out). Everyone doesn’t deserve to make ‘the cut,’ everyone’s intentions aren’t your own, some people are only as loyal as Nixon (yes, Richard)-. However you want to phrase it, know that it’s not something to try and change, but something to be aware of so that you don’t treat everyone like they are a friend. A few of them need to be pulled out of your life so they don’t destroy you (or hijack your dreams).
5. People love to call you selfish when you’re just being fair to yourself. Apparently they don’t realize that if YOU don’t look out for YOURSELF, no one else will.
6. People are going to let you down; so, you have to be careful of what kind of pedestal you put them on. (That’s especially hard for me because my expectations tend to be higher for the people I know and love the most.)
7. You can’t get mad at your past. All of that bullshit that you’re going though (or have gone through and will go through) is necessary. Just be sure not to let it cloud your FUTURE, because you need more happiness there (in the future). You DESERVE better, so look at that (wo)man in the mirror and “make that change!” Get your shit together, change your life & start living better. Because you DESERVE better, chica(o).
8. OMG, you’re someone’s Beloved. Girl, you are- OMG, OMG! *dials RoRo and hang up because you’re too stunned to speak.* *hours later* four months ago, I realized this, omg! Okay, so when you realize that someone you know is RUNNING from their past (like Sethe) and you help them take a break (deal with the past), you’re BELOVED!.. Lol, y’all don’t understand how flabbergasted I am right now. Okay, okay, next:
9. When you hit a wall (writing wise, emotionally, literally (lol), or in any other way), REMEMBER! You’ve got something that will help you tear that wall down brick-by-brick…Thank God for perseverance, people, thank God!
10. You’ve never been good at life, but dammit you know how to survive. And I love you so screw all of those assholes who tell you otherwise, you are phenomenal!
So, yeah, I’ve told myself all of these things for at least two months. And yes, these are all a product of several of my ‘self evaluations.’ But I’m sure most of them can also be applied to your lives, so I guess keep it in mind. I don’t know how this while advice thing works with other people, I think I’m terrible at it. But if you like it, apply it! (Oh, gosh, I am so weird). Anyway, Happy Sunday, folks. Today is a great day to read an excellent book and fall in wonderful love!
21st Century Adolescent 