“Not a Poem” by Rae Cobbs

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I saw your heart drop, friend.
Younger than you, wrapped inside
his weight and blossom cheek,
he stepped outside the comfort zone
and said, “Because I’m gay.”
He sang, a voice from nowhere,
far beyond the backside of the moon.
And glorious! Your face ground into dirt,
resilience brilliance at everything
you tried, you poet, gaudy flame,
your voice a fraction of your shine,
had you been focused on one thing.
This man-child kept himself alive
for you, beyond your pain, to simply
love to be himself, no gain except
to recognize his personhood. You are
here, Brillig, where you still belong.

-Rae Cobbs

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