Dwarf House: a love song – Sawyer Lovett

Jeremy is sleeping on the floor

in front of Drag Race

Glitter is eating grapes

invested in who shantays

and who sashays.

James is making stacks of pancakes

clouds he won’t eat

until he crashes, sleeps it off,

wakes us jonesing.

I love them.

The tall girls are trading titty skittles

gossip, clothes, kisses.

I can smell smoke and perfume

braided like hair and stories

and I love them.

Tariq and William are building

a house of cards

fortifying it with giggles,

compliments, shared earbuds,

shy glances through mile long lashes.

And I love them.

Phoenix is on the phone

with their next ex girlfriend

stretching out the I in girl

so long its a manifesto

on the binary they reject

and the performance they celebrate.

And I love them.

The hustlers and banjee boys

are getting ready

packing cigarettes and condoms

into their skinniest jeans

and tightest tees.

Mark calls the house phone

just to kiki a while.

His stories are a memorial candle

for the ghosts in his heart.

And I love them all.

There’s never enough room

for all these bodies

but somehow

there’s always room for one more.

Making space is worth it.

You give what you have.

A shirt, a shower, a couple of bucks,

a ride, a referral, a roof.

Hope is home enough.

Stay home.

Stay here.

Stay safe.

Stay your fierce heart.

Stay hopeful.

We need you.

Stay.