[welcome]

if I told you the story
of a younger me
a boy caught within
seasons of becoming
would you taste his tears
stinging salty streams carving into
the mountains of shame he’s built
and strenuously weaving through
the fields of deceit he’s sown
would you feel the heat
rising from his feverish
and clandestinely welcomed
first kiss as four quivering lips
sloppily searched one other
for some relief from their afflictions
hoping a sliver of self-acceptance
would emerge between those
pulsing portals lathered with
saliva and deep yearning
would you hear the echoes
dissipating from the caverns
housing his harsh internal critic
sentencing him to be
to be with
to become
whomever he believes will
fill the emptiness bursting at the
seams of his swollen insecurities
would you come and sit with his
older self sifting through memories
carefully cradling the jagged
edges of his brokenness
while embracing the warmth
emanating from his budding joy
would you join me as I softly
extract the flicker of light within him
learning to shine it brilliantly outward
for here starts my journey
of becoming outer
and I’m so glad you’ve
come to share in it
Note: I wrote this [welcome] poem to share a bit about my background and what inspired me to first start writing poetry 🌈 ✨ thank you for all the love and support—let’s keep building community together
—beau j frail