This poem comes from the perspective of a young lesbian who wants to know why people hate her so much. She questions their motives and wonders what she did to offend the heterosexual community. This poem can be found in my new book, Love and Liberation.

Why look strangely whenever I’m in your presence?
Am I not your sister and your brother, too?
Are my looks displeasing to your several senses
Or does my smile not seem bright enough to you?
Is it my hair, my eyes, or the color of my skin?
Why does your conversation end when I walk in the room?
Am I not your kin, your equal, your spiritual twin?
By asking, am I setting myself up for certain doom?
Your eyes speak disgust, but your silence speaks louder.
Would it have been better had I not drawn my first breath?
Am I not loved by you, does this make your Father prouder?
To be killed by hatred daily, though not a physical death,
Is something I’ve experienced throughout my humble existence.
While your words and your actions attempt to subdue my body,
My spirit is far greater than you and your intolerance.
Am I not a child of God? That’s what you want me to see.
Instead, I am the epitome of strength, power, style, and grace.
I am love and power personified, look at my face.