Dating you was confusing, nerve-wracking. Never knowing if you’d cancel or not show up. I believed your excuses because I wanted to. I was upfront about my feelings, and it backfired. * So…I ended it. I feel relief now. No more wondering how you feel. Your silence is my answer. * I know I’m brave….

I find it impossible to apologize for speaking out, having a brain, daring to feel and to express myself. I won’t live in darkness. Most probably don’t understand me. I am okay with that. There are a few of us who hold a secret that we share through a look, an exchange, a breath. Our…

Gen Xer here. Veteran of mailing letters and slowly, painstakingly seducing pen pals with my intrigue. Phones with twisted cords, parents mediating calls. Waiting a week for photos of my vacation to develop only to find half of them actually useable. Seeking camaraderie, I venture outside my stoop into my neighborhood to find a pick-up…

Sitting with you, I’m tense, fidgety. I can’t relax. My eyes follow every movement, every flinch. Your words are elusive. I can’t grasp their meaning. * I drink with my bestie, I’m zoned in, focused, deep in conversation. I forget time, nodding in agreement, engaging. * With you, everything is foggy, memory gone. I cling…

Dull ache turned to sharp pain. Your absence sends me into the abyss. Self-doubt creeps in, My worth tied up in your engagement. * What now? It’s simple. * A man’s attention is fleeting. Our worth is found within ourselves. True freedom is in the act of letting. Trust that love will come when it…