Boxed In

in a society obsessed

with boxes

we lost ourselves

in the boxing

and unboxing

of where we fit

and didn’t

within ourselves

each other

and this judging world

 

the boxes fell upon us

lesbian

no such address

return to sender

all stickered, stamped

and labeled

waiting for UPS

to pick us up

and deliver

as if authenticity

were an address

the post office

cannot find

 

if only

we could have

delivered ourselves

 

our love became nested

deep inside matryoshkas

a tiny hard babushka

buried deep inside personas

public reserve

shellacking over

private passion

dolls, un-womanly

wooden and distorted

 

my heated curves

and sharp edges

don’t fare well

in boxes

 

I was punch drunk

in the corner

from all this

boxing ourselves in

I cracked

knocked things over

I meant

to tear off labels

break down

confining boxes

instead

I tore

your heart out

broke the back

of our love

 

I wanted to love you

boundaryless

now I don’t get

to love you at all

 

 

 

 

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