"Safe Space?"
For ROCK's Unofficial Challenge in Free Verse
Link to the Challenge:
I found it on a sign in a rough part of the city
(actually not too rough),
with a broken QR code
(it did not work)
and my less than perfect French caught the gist of it...
(don't really agree with the sentiment)
There are no safe spaces and you are always being judged
(this happens because we are human and fucked up).
You see...this was on a bus stop, with graffiti and rust
(a perfect metaphor?).
The sentiment was kind, but a bad reminder of what cannot be
(every eye on you just has to give the game away).
You share with your friends - that's ammunition for them.
(Can you believe that she said that?)
Posting it online with anonymity
(You have already shared too much)
You write it down in a book, creating notes
(Wanna burn that shit one day? No?)
And then, you see that it does not exist
(It cannot exist anywhere),
not even in a home where you have your own peace and quiet
(Your thoughts are not quiet, and you are your own worst enemy).
Voices will haunt you and they will sound familiar
(The code will remain uncracked).
*
Thank you for reading!
If you liked this, you can add your Insights, Comment, leave a Heart, Tip, Pledge, or Subscribe. I will appreciate any support you have shown for my work.
You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.
Give it a look...
About the Creator
Kendall Defoe
Teacher, reader, writer, dreamer... I am a college instructor who cannot stop letting his thoughts end up on the page. No AI. No Fake Work. It's all me...
And I did this:
Keep reading
More stories from Kendall Defoe and writers in Poets and other communities.
Comments (1)
Hey, I recently came across your story and genuinely enjoyed reading it. Your writing is very vivid and descriptive, and it was easy to imagine the scenes while reading. Because of that, I feel like it would translate really beautifully into a comic format. I’m a commissioned comic artist,and I’d love the opportunity to create visuals based on your story if that’s something you’d ever be interested in. Of course, there’s absolutely no pressure at all, I just thought it could be a fun way to bring your world to life visually. If you'd like to talk more about the idea, you can reach me on Discord (lunapuresoul) or Instagram (lunaartsoul). Best regards, Luna