I Am Not Settling
By Jessica Lake
It is knowing
The length of your nose
The size of your cell
Your proper station in life
Your role in God’s plan
It is understanding
That this is meant for me
And this?
This is meant for others.
Take love—
Love is not meant for you.
It’s not punishment, Dearest
But commonsense
Just look at you.
You’re a recipe
For disaster—no offense.
A cup of Drain Bamage
A quart of Hello Kitty
A pound of Wednesday Addams
And pinch of wrong time and place
Blend well,
Place on low flame
Stir often and gently
After a lifetime
Remove and serve
While still lukewarm.
____________________
A cup of Neurodivergence
A quart of Gender dysphoria
A pound of Dysfunctional family