Poetry By Debasery

     mark yuen CC

​My non-listening 
turns into listening 
when my mom 
says there are 
a lot of butchies here
We turn to 
look at them 
for different reasons
I pledge allegiance 
to visibility
She grieves 
the loss 
of who 
she wanted 
me to be
Inkjet job
Botox flaw
Diarrhea squad
Skinned raw
I could tell 
she’s been 
awfully curious lately 
maybe she’s
jealous of me
I live pimply
she lives simply
They gave me 
a snack
for free
and winked at me
took me behind a tree
and did stuff to me
I got fleas 
they got pleased
My mom didn’t see
She got lost
2 too busy momaging 
I can’t stop mothering
I’m losing oxygen
at this midwest bar
These women look
butchy but 
they say he
when referring to
their spouse 
at home  
I have he
He screamed and 
choked me
I spit back
backwards
and swore to call CPS
                                    CPK 
I have he/him/his
bitching in my ear
Narrating 
my day to day existence
thank you because
I don’t know
how to determine my own truth or how to tie my shoe or how to separate from you
I learned to not listen 
voice filtered off 
like my momager does 
so
my non-listening 
was learned

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Debasery is a very nice artist and writer from Brooklyn. Vibes are… trans and transient identity, psychosomatic symptoms, and queer desire. You can find them irl hosting a monthly reading series at a bar called TV Eye.