by Buddah Desmond

Giving our all—

Giving our all again and again

Because we know nothing else

Pouring every ounce of ourselves into all we touch

Leaving nothing to question
Blazing pathways

Creating new trails

Breaking records

Setting new standards
Looking at us, you may never know the epic that lies beneath—

unless we let you into our world

And even if we do—

you may not believe it

Because we channel the feelings and wisdom

of our lived experiences into our gifts

We bleed out

Bare our souls

Transcend the cells, skin, and bones

that we’re made of

We’re intricate, transformative beings—

shifting battlefields into fields of joy and love
One day

Maybe one day we won’t have to fight so much
Maybe one day the beauty and complexity of our lives

can be embraced without the unnecessary institutionalized, 

cultural, and societal trauma
Maybe one day we’ll shine like the stars we’ve always been

without the risk of being snuffed out
Maybe one day

One day…


 

Buddah Desmond aka BDez (he / him / they / them) is a DMV-based writer / poet / artist whose writing shares lessons from adversity to triumph and offers messages of hope, love, healing, and resilience. They are the author of six poetry collections, including their most recent releases, Everything I Miss(ed) At Home (2023) and Coming Up From the Downside: Finding Joy in Our Song (2024).