Fuck men
At least I’m trying
But lying comes quick—must come with the dick

Must be a two-for-one deal on that shit

Did I suspect? Not so much
I always lacked insight as such
Always lacked that Midas touch
Mine was more like a curse
Where gold reverts to something worth
Less

The truth behind a lie always hurts

And just when I thought I had no more torches
To carry, here comes this guy and he forces
Me to consider my limits—he’s gorgeous
And sort of scary; could this twink be
The first canary down my
All-too-eager coal mine?

God, his lips are a gold mine
And in my dreams, he’s all mine

In my dreams. It’s all in my head
My alchemy—my talent—is gold into lead

When I’m at my most hopeless
A hole in me opens
It’s a cavern and it’s ravenous
Devouring the hope I’ve found
And then, their voices resound
Echoing up, telling me
Who I really am deep down
Fuck men
Who made me this way
Who’d pray for their knowledge
Instead of just acknowledge I might be gay

My self-image was transmuted
And tarnished by men
But I will not be made worthless again

My truth hides behind the mask of a lie
But it’s a mask I can take off any time
And beneath it is nothing but glittering
Twinkling gold

 

BIO

Zachary is a genre writer and poet based in Adelaide who, as a former coordinator with Writers SA, has built a deep love and connection to the South Australian writing community. His current project is a fantasy novel based in themes of queer identity and self-realisation.