Eyes turned away,
In fear or disgust.
Affirmation of my taint,
My poisoned existence.
Battered by life,
Abused by the best.
Reality’s brutalities,
Harden on my skin.
Truth in pills,
Tough to swallow.
Medication overdose,
Prone minds and emotions.
Reflecting the hurt,
Wounds and scars unseen.
Dare to meet my eyes,
Lift my invisibility.
Misunderstood,
Know it yourself.
This world is cruel,
Unforgiving of fate.
Judgments rendered,
Predictive force.
Anticipating rejection,
Internalizing wounds.
Scabs formed,
Over festering flesh.
Ointments applied,
To rotting skin.
Safety nonexistent,
Create space for death.
Graveyards dug,
For countless corpses.
Nothing good,
Awaiting at the entrance.
Hostile intentions,
Fangs bared against you.
Your presence denied,
Enemies too powerful.
Allies nonexistent,
Hide yourself away.
Brushstrokes layered,
Canvas still white.
Rough outlines emerge,
Essence elusive.
Sitting model fidgets,
Restless and bored.
Constantly shifting,
Blurring the image.
Set off for a moment,
Never to return.
Incomplete portrait staring,
Blank spaces to fill.
Interpreting visions,
Fairy whispers of truth.
Legacy everlasting,
Ugly pictures of you.
Geographic placement,
Shove you in a box.
Tongue reveals truth,
Even while spinning lies.
Socioeconomic status,
Rural-urban class.
Contextual, prejudicial,
Ideologies attached.
Labeled stupid hick,
Intellect assaulted.
But when running for office,
Folksy and so charming.
Double standards prevail,
White men steal who you are.
Celebrated wearing your skin,
Your flesh reviled and detested.
Chiu on This 