Scoundrel Time

Fractured Prism

/invite @you
You joined #lgbt by invitation from Them

Them: Welcome!
You: What is this?
Them: Aren’t you gay?
You: No
You left #lgbt

***

You introduce me to your
Family
One-by-one

This is my lovely sister.
This is my punk-ass brother.
My perfectly photogenic mom.
My deadbeat dad.

This is my… Friend.

They don’t raise an eyebrow
Nor cock their head to the side
With quizzical smirks

When I keep showing up and going
Straight
To your room

Locking the door

As we muffle our love
Into the jean jacket collection in your
Closet

Sssh, ssh, sshhh
As you cover me with
Wet, hot affection
And fold a striped
Tie
Across my mouth

***

Calendar: July

1: Lady Gaga
3: Madonna
7: Britney Spears
14: Queen featuring Adam Lambert
18: Cher
23: Abba Tribute Band
24: Celine Dion
29: Lady Gaga again but, in a different state

***

You flip through your address book
And find the entry for “Dad”
A voicemail left unheard        Transcribed

“I need ten thousand dollars,Invest in me and I will give you

10x back.

I’m buying Bitcoin!”

And you think

“Maybe if I give him money
I can tell him I’m gay and
He’ll have to be happy for me”

But you realize that love
Shouldn’t be transactional

And you give him the money

And the market tanks shortly after…

***

To: Mom
From: You

Subject: Hey

Hey Mom,

The $5k you needed to open your nail business
Is in the mail.

Also, I’m gay.

You remove the last line.
You hit send.

***

Black veils and
Hard-packed earth

And even now, it’s still
Not the time.

Would father had been
Proud of me

Knowing I was gay?

I never got the chance
To know

 

 

 

 

Image By: https://unsplash.com/photos/jRXxNpA6d_k