To all the little gay girls

Sitting in middle school

Classrooms staring

At the girl of their dreams

Across the neverending

Rows of desks

This is goes out to you

For when your heart beats

In your chest like a

Jackhammer

Because you saw

A woman dressed

Like she’s never cared

What men think

And to all the little gay girls

With a twist in their gut

Who are afraid

Because they think

Lesbian

Is a bad word

With vision blurred

And nausea creeping

Up when they realize

They get butterflies

When they think about her

To all the little gay girls

Who have ever been

Disgusted

With themselves

At least as disgusted

As the glares they get

From the straight girls

In the locker rooms

When they’re just trying

To change

And to you, little gay girls

Who love too hard

And too strong

Whose bitterness

And broken hearts

Suffocate you

Your guilt

Is real and it is heavy

But it will not last

Forever

To all of you who get

Crushes on your best friend

Who can’t even touch

Another girl

On the arm

Because you think

You’re being predatory

Who may have

Not even

Realized yourself yet

Or have kept it secret

When you know

The danger

Who have sat

And smiled

And kept deathly

Quiet

When the straight girls

Talk about

Dates with boys

Who have done the same

When your mother

Talks about

Grandchildren

And asks about a

Boyfriend

Who have ever seen

Two girls kiss

And felt the burning

Hiss

Of longing

lodged deep

Within

This is for you