[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