“pellucid”

I am still here floating in this grey space 

knowing nothing but this blurring smoke that I breathe and exhale 

pondering on whether this is living or simply being alive 

but if this is what life is then kiss this life from my lips 

blow out my candle and do not call out my name 

for it is you who has stolen my flame 





“algea”

they are as vultures eating away at me 

yet they do not feast on my flesh but on my soul they tear me to bits 

and it seems they will not rest until nothing of me remains 

I simply wish they would do it quicker for the pain I am in is absolutely horrid





“valid”

Chemical imbalance you say?

If we, humans, are all just a sack of meat and bones who function and live upon the dependence of the state of our immune system and chemical brain signals then what about those who are ill and disabled? Are they not human? What makes me, us, so different from you? Because we identify as something you, this black & white society, persevere as impossible or incorrect; because we can only be what the genitalia we were born with is. The stereotype, expectations, lifestyle that that assigned gender is pushed to accomplish? So all we are is either that XY or XX? We are nothing more than testosterone or estrogen? You have female genitalia but feel you are a male? You lack estrogen! You have male genitalia but identify as a female? You lack testosterone! Once that doctor says “It’s a boy/girl!”, that word is all we become? Yet when our gentelia was unknown you said “I don’t care what they are, I will love them and protect them forever. They’re my blood.”- yet now.. you are the ones who will throw us out like garbage to the curb. Belittle us, beat us, bruise us, hurt us. At some points even dare say we are no longer your blood, that we no longer have anything to do with you. You, the ones who swore to love and protect us no matter what are the ones killing us now; physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Do we not have souls? Are we simply bodies, nothing more? A robot in that sense. Then what is the point of religion? Taking in the factors above, what spirituality could we have? We do not have souls, how could those non existent souls go to heaven, hell, or limbo? Because as you say, our physical bodies stay on this earth but our spiritual life continues in one of those three. So tell me, how am I just a chemical imbalance?





- Ricky Winters