Garden of my own
I stood alone, and empty-handed,
Wondering where all of me had gone.
A once vibrant garden bathed in golden light,
Now dimmed and beholding wilted leaves,
Lost in the labyrinth of gardens belonging to others.
Had I given too much away this time?
I had intertwined myself with them,
Healing them with water and sunlight.
No person fended for my withering stems,
no one paused for a moment to see if I was parched
My hands, now bare
Once full of healthy, blooming vegetation.
Certain I will give no longer,
What I was equally worthy of.
For the flowers I've yielded,
Have left me a few seeds, I will nurture
assembling a new garden,
Where I can flourish.
When I am gone
When I am gone tell them that,
My favorite color was pink.
tell them that I never adhered to the
gender roles the world tried to pin on me,
tell them I lived my life the way I desired,
that conformed only to the standards I set for myself
tell them I walked the earth with open arms
for any soul that needed a warm embrace,
to hold someone who suffered criticism like bullets
society shot into our backs.
tell them I cared not for money or wealth
yet I yearned for the most magical love,
a love so prosperous and deep
No person could determine where my soul ended and where theirs began.
now, tell them that I lived as a lover, a writer, a companion
but most evidently, I lived as a leader.
That I led people to greatness,
I led people to their wildest dreams.
When I am gone tell them
I lived my life to its capacity and without an ounce of shame.
We are not the same
I grew up invisible,
I was forgotten by my name,
A word was once spoken infinitely
had been lost, never to be heard again.
You mustn't know what it's like,
watching as your birthday passes
unknown by society
like a wrapper underneath your shoe.
I always hoped once- twice even
I could wake up in a room filled with love,
arms ready for an embrace.
But you wake up in a home
where every nook and cranny knows your name.
You said you cared
but your words were charity wrapped in pretty ribbon,
kindness for your benefit only.
You don't see me,
you see yourself in the reflection of my eyes.
I crave to be cared for, not pitied,
To be cared for without begging.
Do you think your inconvenience
weight the same as my endless pain,
you could never comprehend
walking unwanted in every space.
My eyes peer into the darkness,
held by the cold sting of unshed tears,
while yours are kissed with warmth and love,
your face has not been touched by grief
which streams down mine each night.
You and I-
We are not the same.
We are stars in different galaxies.
Destined to never collide.