Little bud.

It’s budded

and blooms

at the most

unfortunate time.

And when people

look at you,

they think of church

breaking your soul

and society tangling

its fingers in your hair

and men kissing at your mouth

and women scouring you off.

But you, little bud,

aren’t evil. It’s just

an evil thing that’s

birthed, stretching your gut,

and we all have those things

that threaten to break through

and swallow

what we
are.