Tell Me Why You Ban The Books Which Tell Stories Of Two Male Penguins Adopting A Child, Books That Show

Christmas to me is a quiet warmth Background music, spicy candles, My favorite blanket at home.

A comfortable kinship with family, A respite in celebrating alone.

I untangle with the string lights, A gentle glow I feel deep in my bones.

Christmas is a gift I unwrap slowly, With delicate hands and a softer tone, These silent nights are all my own.

I'll be Venus You be Mars Let's be planets Then be stars Let's be ever Changing colors In a galaxy That's ours If you are darkness I'll be light The day is Always kissing Night We'll become one In the dawn Our heavy bodies Will be gone

I thought we were art The kind that could heal Your paintings abstract My writing surreal Pieces that where honest And made us both feel But I wanted concrete And you've been ideal I look at you and see More than sex appeal Maybe you don't want art Or anything real I'm just another secret Someone new to conceal

I wouldn't ask for you To meet me under covers I wonder if you know There are no rules for lovers

Did you make lines to cross? Were they drawn in the sand? Were they passed down Like family jewels Or golden rings on hands?

No handbooks for hearts Bodies aren't black and white Driving in the dark All these roads blink yellow lights

We've been friends We've been more We have both loved others Kiss the labels off my lips There are no rules for lovers

Floating on my back Naked in the water I made a promise to The clouds above To never ask about their father

The sky turns gray And I feel cold I give my body to the earth Into her hands to hold One day she may cradle me When I am very old

I see the sun light up Below the horizon Piercing the clouds Warming the land That someday I will die on

Without my clothes I am the planet's creature Flesh and bone And limbs to feature This forest pond is a refuge And the wind's voice my teacher

I'm both a brother And a sister A chameleon A shapeshifter I was the man I thought you wanted And woman again When you missed her

I've been handsome I've been gorgeous And being both Has been euphoric I've been everything All at once I am both malleable And formless

My voice is soft Fluid and cozy My body smooth And warm and homey When I speak to you I hope you hear My soul is steady And you know me

I felt alone in my skin No, worse so I was a hostage inside myself Choking on a growing body Suffocating in adolescence

My pretty hair was like rope Tying me to a chair Shackled, cuffed I wore a constricting costume That was too hot and sweaty

And I was stuck there Because my flesh Could not be pulled off Up over my head, yet My bones were aching to breathe

My grief feels large and heavy I have cried into buckets And now I am carrying them Around like a punishment

I can't let go, I refuse to I am tied to these burdens Rope raw against my skin For now I need this anguish

And I need you, the source of it Because I am crying for you For the inevitable absence of you I feel it so strongly already

The light and dark Tides of my life Swelled simultaneously

Waves that lifted me Battered me In their shore break

In my euphoria I waded Through so much pain

And the two have never Separated In their continuum

The parishioners walk the oldest streets Late in the scornful, spectral night "Begone you devil spirits!" they cry "Protect us from their ancient blight!"

Dressed in robes of black and white The priest in front calling, praying Chanting like they are summoning ghosts Ironic, the wraiths are hiding, playing

"Begone you hateful, wicked things!" The churchgoers try to cleanse the town Where once they scorched their witches Now cackling, the terrified voices drown