Straight

Location

For a couple of years now,
I've made the joke 
that absolutely nothing about me
is straight 
except my hair in the mornings
on the days
where I can push a straightener 
through my hair
steam spiraling up towards the ceiling
I have yet to find another thing about me 
that is merely straight 
the stretch marks on my skin
that run alongside
the curves of my body
the contours in my face
carving out my expressions
of every passionate emotion
the arch of my lips
as I open my mouth to speak
to the sound waves 
of my words
ever seeming to curve
more and more away from
what's deemed the norm
and yes; even my sexuality
swerving,
deviating from what's straight
from what's "normal"
from what's expected
i've been defying expectations
from the moment of my birth
from the curves on my growth charts
as a little girl 
my legs reaching up towards the sun
and the arches in my feet supporting them
and by climbing over the the bell curve
granting me the label of 
"gifted and talented"
since before I can remember 
and that label has bore down on me
breaking my back 
curving my spine
as my fingers curl around number two pencils
trying to prove to myself 
and everyone around me
that I'm something more
and I've been bending over backwards
trying to keep myself afloat 
against the waves
that life has thrown at me
so when I make the joke
that my parking job can't be straight 
because I'm not
know that it's about a whole lot more
than just my sexuality 
 

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