You Better Be Lightning (Button Poetry)

by Andrea Gibson

My grandfather was a clock who stopped before I met him.

Interesting way to say someone died before you were born

My friend wakes up at noon. Goes to bed at eight. Wants less time because she wants less pain.

Ive felt this way

I can spot a scar beneath a wristwatch from a hundred yards away.

I can see someone like me

To make up for lost time, you need only to put down the grudge you are holding so you can pick up the phone and say, How many days did we need each other at the same time without knowing it?

Bitterness is the easiest way to leave this world having had only a near-life experience.

If we never deny the inevitable end of the story, we will write it more beautiful while we’re alive.

If we acknowledge that life ends, we will make more of it while were here

QUEER YOUTH ARE FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE BY SUICIDE means: You lived five times harder than you should have had to to still have a body when you graduated high school.

This makes me feel sorry for little me

When your mother asked what was wrong, you were five times more likely to believe you’d lose her if you spoke the truth.

Even if it wasnt true the belief is still there

You were told five times more often you’d go to hell when you died.

Think its more than five times more

I graffiti billboards with the page of my diary the bullies used to start the rumors.

Loud about what i used to hide

I walk through graveyards with a chisel correcting the names of trans kids whose families said, No, when asked, Can you just let me live?

The real reason trans kids kill themselves is lack of acceptance

I, like most of my queer friends, don’t have a child —I have millions—

It does sometimes feel like that

What if we don’t have to be healed to be whole?

what’s true is I can’t always tell the difference between my gifts and my tragedies.

How did you come to believe that hating yourself would protect you from other people’s hate?

it’s the most beautiful part of the queer community—how we’ve all lost so much family when we find people we call family, we’ll do almost anything to not say goodbye.