BDANR

You're welcome and thank you for the reply!

Admittedly, I'm not a very good critic :/.

I really like the theme of mythology here. The rhyme scheme is very interesting too. Despite speaking of death, something we all arguably fear at some point in our lives, the speaker expresses their openness to experiencing it for a worthy cause. Very good AC :).

Little man, I ain’t got the nerve to be telling you who you should and should not be. All my life, as a black man, I’ve been told what I’m supposed to be. The worst thing I could do to you is tell you the same, cuz then you wind up being someone you’re not. As long as you ain’t getting hurt, you can love however you want. Little man, I know I don’t have to remind you of this, but you are a black man. You are gonna go through this world with folks using any reason not to love you body and s

Letters, poems, prose, and short stories I've written. Includes a letter from a father to his son, experiences with dating, life after Trayvon Martin's death, and other subject matters.

I really liked Butterfly. Beautifully written, and so much said with very few words. I enjoyed how poetically described your observations in Street Cat. Poor thing :P. Spider was funny and I enjoyed the visual haha. Thanks for sharing your haikus :)!

I am going to write fire until it comes out of my ears, my eyes, my noseholes--everywhere. Until it's every breath I breathe. I'm going to go out like a fucking meteor!” - Audre Lorde One of my inspirations, writer wise.

Also a nice poem. I like the alliteration in the beginning and I really liked this line, "lips ghosting on air-chilled shoulders." I think I felt goosebumps .

I really liked this one in particular. I like the style, it's sexy, AND this is the first I've read a poem including consent. I wish there were more writers who wrote about it. Thank you for this :).

Thanks for sharing! I'll be away from the internet for awhile, but I'd love to read your work soon :).

You're welcome MacGreg. I'm very glad to share. It's interesting that particular line grabbed your attention. This was the one line I had the most trouble with. I shared this piece with a poet friend of mine and I originally left out the "bleeding rainbows" line because I thought it had been too graphic or violent. But she asked to read my piece with that line included, and though she never told me, I think that was another way of her saying that I had no reason to censor that imagery. I'm already speaking about a very violent tragedy to begin with, what purpose did I have to sugarcoat it? Thank you for your feedback. Thank you for your words asamvav111. I hope to share more with you all in the near future.

Thank you Tim for your words. Thank you Parker. I found myself in great desire for justice when I reached the end of my piece. An escape from the violence in a sort of queer utopia. Simultaneously, I also had to come to terms with how society is. It's not always pretty, but it's not entirely ruthless either. Thank you again.

This next one is a bit more somber than the last. As a warning to you all, I wrote this in the aftermath of the Orlando Nightclub shooting. If you're intimately connected with the tragedy or otherwise triggered by the events that occurred that night, please take care of yourself before and after this read. To Orlando When you danced, did it ever feel like the world just stops? Did it seem effortless as you moved gracefully on the floor, or was dancing never easy for you to do? Did dancing make the world seem lighter under your feet? Or did it always feel so heavy, soles glued to the floor? What was it like being under the spotlights basking in their glow? Did the flashing lights make you feel as though all eyes were on you? Maybe dancing was the only time you felt as beautiful as you were. Can you remember when you first knew you were “different”? A time when love was painless, and it felt safe to hold hands and be in your beloved’s arms? Or a time when loving someone was a struggle, and you tried desperately to hold on? Maybe love never felt right, and you numbed yourself from it all. Would you tell me that one day “it gets better,” or would you tell me that the path is never smooth? Is the road paved like a pearl white runway show or does the path look more like bleeding rainbows? Maybe it’s something in the middle. Maybe there will be better days. Days when the spotlights keep flashing, the runway is always ready, and the dancing never ends. R.I.P. To My 49 Brothers and Sisters

Thank you Parker :)!

This one in particular was hard to read. Unsettling, very heavy. This poem will have a lasting impression on me, and I'm imagining it wasn't the easiest to write.

What I appreciated about this collection (among other things) is that you are very honest about the suffering and injustice you see and shed light on it through poetry. A few lines that left the greatest impression on me: "Drench away the sorrow of lost Men who silently prayed for Deliverance amongst the tyranny" and "Unhinged from reality they fight Over old dusty tomes devoid of Humanity’s creed-less dread." Thank you for this share. If you have more work, I'll be sure to read those as well.

Thank you for your words AC. I don't know if you or others face this as well, but being vulnerable had been very challenging for me when I was younger, and I didn't find myself getting better at it until I was an adult. I appreciated this friend because we allowed each other the space to take risks and trust one another in a way we hadn't before with anyone outside family. I would love to share more with you all! I'll be honest and say a good amount of my poems tend to be more riskier. They could come from a place of sadness, anger, or hope. I don't know if those could be others I can share with you all as well? Of course, all of the ones I'm wanting to share are appropriate for this forum :). Thank you for sharing! I'll get to reading these after breakfast :).

I was inspired to do this when one of my closest friends moved away. I'm fortunate to have a few friends I could also dedicate this piece to... My Friend Can we talk, my friend? Share laughs and dreams while snuggling in the sunset. Tell me your troubles Let me hold your load when things gets rough Can I tell you how much you mean to me? We’ve spent so much time together on this Earth Embracing each other’s pain and basking in our happiness You are my friend that is here to stay. Years have passed and we hold each other tighter Even at our worse, we always remain with one another. Time continues to change us, and I’m fortunate to see you grow I am fortunate to have your love I am fortunate to see you glow. The universe has truly made this bond divine We are forever in debt to its wonders When I’m asked who I can call a friend You remain the one I had in mind

I was 19, a sophomore in college. It was during the fall, nighttime with clear skies. A friend of mine and his bf were visiting and he said he had a cute friend with him that I should meet. I was so shy, but I agreed to hang out and they picked me up to go to see this Lady Gaga laser show. The guy and I lied down next to each other the entire show. After the show, we went to this McDonalds and he had his hand on my thigh. I had this tingling feeling in my stomach and I knew I really liked him . We were in the back of my friend's car while his bf was driving us. The guy asked me a question. And while I was answering, next thing you know his eyes were closed and his tongue went straight in my mouth! I was shocked, my eyes were open, and I thought in my mind "this is really happening!" So I closed my eyes and started playing along. He could tell I had no idea what I was doing, but he kept kissing me anyways. The kiss felt a little strange cuz I hadn't done anything like it before, but I also couldn't help but want to keep going . My friend's bf drove us to their apartment and my first kiss would end up being my first time as well. He unfortunately didn't live anywhere near me and felt like our night together was just for fun, a one time thing. I was devastated, but that was an unforgettable and special night for me, for what it's worth.

Hey everyone, I was just reading a bit of your poetry in the last few pages and thought to join in on the forum. I appreciate how laid back and encouraging you all are with each other's writings and I enjoyed reading a few of your works as well :). I'll try to have something to share with you all soon! As a warning: I feel like my poetry is usually free verse, kinda messy and wild lol. I hope you don't mind :P. My name is Bryant.

Fire Emblem and the Tales Series are def two RPGS that I usually like the stories of. If you like Tactical/Strategy RPGS, Final Fantasy Tactics for the PSOne is probably one of my favorite storylines of all time. I've been shocked, sad, even moved while going through the story. If it's story is anything like other Final Fantasy games, I should probably try playing those :P. If you like Adventure games with a blend of mystery and law, the Phoenix Wright series on the DS has a good, very engaging storyline. I eventually sold the games, but sometimes I would watch the game on Youtube just to go through the storyline again.

Thank you for the welcome Hunter! Been living in the PNW for 7 years now, couldn't imagine living anywhere else :). Thank you for the welcome Richard! That's good to hear, and I hope to start posting soon!

Hey everyone, My name is Bryant and I just joined Gay Authors today! I've recently been writing quite a bit, but didn't have anyone to share my writings with. I'm a nerdy guy, into video games (and plan on checking the video game section out lol), pretty avid reader, have finished 20 books so far this year, and am eager to grow and learn as a writer. Hopefully this can be one place I can spread my wings. Hope to share some work with you all soon, Bryant