today I lay dying
early in the morning while the city rubbed its eyes
slowly and painfully and quietly
bundled up on the corner where Arts meets Main
alone in a mosaic of veneer and personal belongings
casually strewn around my cold twitching body
bruised and battered to the perpetrator’s perfect perception of beauty
my ribs expertly caved in the way only impromptu violence is able to execute
warm blood haphazardly leaving my body
thick and panic-stricken
latching onto the wheels of passing vehicles
desparate to escape the scene of my sudden death
my final exhale
today I died
in the morning with no time to say goodbye
no opportunity to apologise one last time
no precious moment to say a little prayer
for forgiveness
for guidance as I leave behind my anatomical suit
I had such little time to prepare
had I know that death would arrive for me today
that this morning I would die
cold and alone on the side of the road
I would not have worn white to be stained by my blood
had I known that I would stare death in the face
dressed in the bodies of four angry men
armed with their fists and boots and nearby bricks
hatred full in their hearts and burning in their eyes
I would not have worn my glasses to see death approaching
I would not have shaved my face
or shined my shoes
or taken my journal along with me
had I know that I would never write in it again
I would not have combed my hair
or brushed my teeth
had I known that eternal sleep would come to me
cold and alone on the corner where Arts meets Main
today I died
and made the evening news
another victim of hate crime they called me
indifferently
this morning where Arts meets Main
I was killed
for being gay