Just The Way, It Was (May 10, 2016)

Am surprise

By your reaction to

A part of my life.

Especially

From the 1980s

And early 1990s.

Dark times

For the LGBT+ community

As we were forced

To confront several epidemics

At once.

Not all

Were related to

The emerging killer

HIV/AIDS.

Being expose

To the virulent hate

For the first time

Of transphobia

And homophobia.

Not from

Other kids

But adults.

Already have

That t-shirt

Years ago.

When

I started kindergarten

In 1975.

Along with

The PTSD flashbacks

Auditory and visual

In constant rotation

Throughout the years.

Naively

I thought

With the gaining of age

One got smarter and wiser

About the world

Around them.

Just part

Of the curse

Being

An optimistic-pessimist.

Yeah

I know

It's an oxymoron

Like military intelligence.

So sue me.

On second thought

Better not

Still have money leftover

From my disability cheque.

Therisa © 2016

Author's note: Guess, the little things that most people take for granted, are those memories, which filled us, with sadness and regret.