Metaphors and Similes Wont Save Them | Teen Ink

Metaphors and Similes Wont Save Them

February 13, 2015
By Maia-Irwin PLATINUM, Madras, Oregon
Maia-Irwin PLATINUM, Madras, Oregon
22 articles 2 photos 3 comments

I'm so tired of writing poems about the queer struggle

Tired of comparing girls with dark eyes to holy oil

Because they say what we do is a sin

But when i close my eyes i swear my heart pounds with our fear

And in everything i write you can hear the echo of their cries

My siblings are being killed

And their murderer can plead gay or trans panic in 49 states

My siblings are being killed and people hold protests at their funerals

My siblings will have to forever have the wrong names on their tombstones

My siblings are having violence commited on them everyday

My siblings are homeless youth

Kicked out by their parents and labelled runaways

Can't you spare a nickel, everyone knows those gay guys can't live with without their hair products

My siblings are feeling their cheeks burn with shame for who they are

And all i can do is write these poems



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This article has 4 comments.


on Feb. 19 2015 at 11:50 am
Maia-Irwin PLATINUM, Madras, Oregon
22 articles 2 photos 3 comments
Thank you!

JRaye PLATINUM said...
on Feb. 18 2015 at 8:04 am
JRaye PLATINUM, Dorr, Michigan
43 articles 10 photos 523 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you.&quot;<br /> <br /> &quot;Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, &#039;I just don&#039;t care.&#039;?&quot;

This is...wow. It's so true, SO true - all I do when I'm scared or desperate is write, even if it comes out bad. Part of me really wants to create something that will ACTUALLY change people, save them, when really it's very difficult. Jeez, I'm blown away. This is amazing, thank you for writing this :)

on Feb. 17 2015 at 6:45 pm
Maia-Irwin PLATINUM, Madras, Oregon
22 articles 2 photos 3 comments
It means so much to me that you can relate to this. I often find myself frustrated with my inability to act, especially as I am a person who loves statistics. I know the murder rate of transwoman, but still I am scared to do anything but write.

Mckay ELITE said...
on Feb. 17 2015 at 6:34 pm
Mckay ELITE, Somewhere, Virginia
146 articles 0 photos 2230 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.&quot;<br /> &mdash;Apple&rsquo;s &ldquo;Think Different&rdquo; commercial, 1997<br /> &ldquo;Crazy people are considered mad by the rest of the society only because their intelligence isn&#039;t understood.&rdquo; <br /> ― Weihui Zhou

I feel the same way with you. Sometimes, I write because I fear I can't vocally voice my opinion, but I feel that I can voice my thoughts with my writing. And often, I believe that perhaps writing can persuade the human mind. Nonetheless, it is not always so. Rather than physically helping those in needs, we hide behind words, thinking "oh, we'll help them...metaphorically." Yet as your title appropriately states, metaphors and similes can't save them. It's simply not enough. Well done.