by Janin S. (she/her), 16
I yearn to be a part of something
to have a community of people like myself,
to build and to contribute.
I yearn to create art
to sing, to write, to act,
to do everything they tell me not to pursue.
I yearn to never wake up one day and not recognize myself,
to look in the mirror and not know who is looking back at me.
I yearn to accept the lot I’ve been dealt
and to appreciate the simple joys of my days,
what my God has given me.
I yearn to creep into my room at night,
and see you lying there
to lean over and give you a kiss on the top of your slumbering head,
to climb into bed and tuck the covers tight over you,
to make sure you are warm and safe,
to sleep in hazy, pleasant dreams that I will not remember when I wake:
I yearn, I yearn, I yearn.
Janin (she/they) is a 16-year-old writer, poet, actress, and a native New Jerseyan. In her spare time, Janin enjoys singing with their choir, writing, whether that be music, poems, or scripts, and spending time with her friends and her dog, Cocoa. Janin is thrilled to be published for the very first time in this very issue, and hopes to share more of their writing, and queer joy, with the world!
Bridge Ink 