Red is a color on America's patriotic flag

Orange is the color of a juicy orange

Yellow is the color of a fuzzy dandelion

Green is the color of prickly grass

Blue is the color of the clear sky

Purple is the color of a delicate violet

White is the color for puffy clouds

Brown is the color of dirt

Black is the color for the starry night sky

Pink is the color for mothers day hearts

My family is golden

Riley is my sister

Riley is courageous

Erin is my mom

Erin is a teacher

Mackenzie is me

Mackenzie is caring

John is my dad

John is funny

I walk into my classroom

And there is someone new

He told me todays schedule

It was written all in blue

He is super handy

He became my best friend

His name is Andy

I give him a ten out of ten

When he is full of info

He helps me get through my day

He is perfect for a photo

He is my friend in the best way

My teacher gives life to my white shiny friend

He has a strong magnetic personality

He is a friend for life till the end

all he does is hang around in his own pearly reality

Wonderful spring

Flowers bloom with warm days

I can't wait for spring to arrive

Awesome

I love my mom because she picks me up after school and get to where we need to be on time

I love my mom because she helps me finish what I started and stay focused on what I am doing

I love my mom because she is always there beside me and always has my back

I love my mom because she helps me get through tough times when I need it most

I love my mom because she is my own mom in the very best way

Happy Mother’s Day

Love your daughter, 

Mackenzie

I love my dad because he tickles me so often and all he can to make me laugh

I love my dad because he tries his very best to be the best dad that he can be

I love my dad because he is always there beside me and always has my back

I love my dad because he always helps me get through rough times in life when I need it most

I love my dad because he is my very own special dad in the very best way

Happy Father’s Day

Love your daughter, 

Mackenzie

White is as empty as an open mind

White is the pearly white snow that falls from a cloud

White is the white board I see every day at school

White is the white stripes on our country's flag

White smells like the white dandelions on a spring day

White tastes like freezing cold milk from the fridge

White sounds like a cool summer breeze

White looks like a puffy white cloud in the sky

White feels like inspiration bubbling up inside me

White makes me smile my bright smile

White is the best thing ever

I see the doctors office, small lights, the doctor, and my mom.

I hear the doctor and my mom talking, doors opening and closing, and

Lots of typing.

Am I dreaming?

Is this real?

Did I just hear that?

I feel so excited, happy, and joyful.

No glasses and patch!

No glasses and patch!

No glasses and patch!

My hands are small and tan.

My hands are dry and rough on the back.

My hands help me hold things like pencils, books, and binders.

My hands help me eat, write, pick things up, and push buttons.

My hands are my superhero.

My hands are my life.

I would never eat purple pickled peppers from Peter Piper.

I would never ride a ruby red rollercoaster.

I would never buy a rubber rack of red lobster robes.

I would never wear small, smelly, stinky socks from a skunk rug

I would never be the captain of big Bob’s bungalow bat boat.

Something that I always like to think about is a big case of mint chocolate cookie ice cream from Cream King.

And I promise I will never touch poisonous pink prickly poison ivy.

Work hates me

I hate work

Work is boring

Work isn’t fun

Work is hard

Work is useless

To me anyway

The golden flower

The golden flower sits in the bright sunshine

The golden flower sits in the bright sunshine on the beautiful green grass

The golden flower sits in the bright sunshine on the beautiful green grass all alone

The golden flower sits in the bright sunshine on the beautiful green grass all alone with the blue sky overhead

The golden flower sits in the bright sunshine on the beautiful green grass all alone with the blue sky overhead on a cloudless day

The golden flower sits in the bright sunshine on the beautiful green grass all alone with the blue sky overhead on a cloudless day

I am kind and helpful

I wonder what it is like to be famous.

I hear the sound of magical fairies as if they are real.

I see my favorite characters from my favorite movies in my imagination.

I want to be able to help in the ending of poverty.

I am kind and helpful.

I pretend I have super powers that help me save the world from super villains.

I feel happy when I see my favorite movie characters.

I touch the sky and reach my goals.

I worry about getting robbed again.

I cry when other people cry.

I am kind and helpful.

I understand that life doesn’t last forever.

I say be somebody that makes everybody feel like a somebody.

I dream about flying with wings like a butterfly.

I try to reach all of my goals even if they seem extremely hard.

I hope that poverty and homelessness come to an end soon.

I am kind and helpful.

I am  a dreamer and a Girl Scout

I understand  that life is sometimes a puzzle

I worry  that I won't do good in the future

I believe  in fairies and magic

I hope  that I can make the world a better place like Girl Scouts should

I am  a dreamer and a Girl Scout

I dream  of being an Olympic gymnast

I wonder  if my dreams will come true

I want  to have a good life with many great accomplishments

I am  a dreamer and a Girl Scout

Waiting to be found

by another neighborhood kid

in someone else's backyard

playing manhunt

in the dark

Waiting to be found

by my parents

sitting on my front porch 

listening to music

in the dark

Waiting to be found

by a friend

near the campfire

roasting a marshmallow

in the dark

Waiting to be found

by one of my cats

in my living room

trying to read

in the dark

Waiting to be found

by someone, anyone

in my bedroom

crying to myself

Waiting to find

someone, anyone

waiting for a friend

just like me

in the dark

You see, you’ll never really know me

I’ll simply hide behind my poetry

Just these words and me

Click click click I type so quick

Fifteen with my brain running like a machine

All these thoughts in my head are slowly killing me

Playing Boy In The Box over and over

Juiced up on meds because I’m losing my mind

Fifteen and still not old enough to know things

Too old to act like a kid, but to young to have an opinion

I’m “strong headed” and not

Acting how I want to because I am my own person

Fifteen and people still don’t even see me

I look up to everyone because they are taller than me

And they squeeze me smaller because I’m so short

You see, you’ll never really know me

I’ll simply hide behind my poetry

Just these words and me

Click click click I type so quick

I write for fun and I’ll never be done

I, Mack, come from the woods of New Jersey

and the beaches of Stone Harbour

My people watched me grow from the dirt, the trees, 

and the golden orb that hangs from the sky, the earth’s life-giver herself

I pride myself in protecting my people the people who label themselves as LGBTQ

in a society that is oh so unstable and who work with me to be seen 

Through my teenage years, I've written rhyme-songsii

About Aphrodite and benches by coffee shops

And sad sunsets and seriously stupid romance that I haven’t even really felt myself

That I keep in my internet-library for people to read as they please

And as I recite these words to you I hope you take me for what I am

An imperfect poet who preaches positivity

And although I do not arrive with many friends, I will gather them on my journey

but you will see me in my 1964 VW beetle with them soon

Bearing my many awards, the great Gold Award of the Girl Scouts

And the Phoenix award I received in eighth grade

Paris, London, Moscow, Los Angeles, Madrid, and Rome

I want to see the world in all of its glory and hear everyone’s story

I know I can do so many good things

I’ll be among all the queens and kings

For thy love I hath long awaited

Of you I shall never tire, my one and true desire

From the sky-lights thine eyes hath been created

Thy voice speaks like that of a choir

Angels from heaven hath gifted that to thee

By my troth, thy beauty shall never sour

Thine eyes and thy voice my heart wishes to set free

For I love you so, my sweet flower

My heart, ever-dwindling, I shall lend to thee

One that even the owner hath never fully known all sides of

One that mistress sorrow so often must see

May the morrow carry me away with thy love

And mayhaps in this morrow we will caper into the shadow of night

And not drowse till the rise of sir daylight

love thy neighbor, but not my diseased plea

you believe my existence is a lie

because I only want to live freely

a book in hand, you sheltered devotee

those ancient scriptures call you to comply

love thy neighbor, but not my diseased plea

from south to north, we flee, desperately

to our homes and our lives we say goodbye

because we only want to live freely

I’ll follow your rules, just please don’t hurt me

each death adds another light to out sky

love thy neighbor, but not my diseased plea

projecting your own insecurity

I wonder how often you hide and cry

because I only want to live freely

one day the world will finally know me

and I will say, big brown eyes, chest held high

love thy neighbor, but not this diseased plea

because I only want to live freely

March 25, 2023, I came out

two days ago today, it will have been a year

my name is Mack, My pronouns are they/them, I’ll shout

I’m here, I’m queer, and I refuse to disappear

two days ago today, it will have been a year

the fooling around, freedom, and now flourishing

I’m here, I’m queer, and I refuse to disappear

it has been almost four years since that first meeting

the fooling around, freedom, and now flourishing

the things that I could never regret or repent

it has been almost four years since that first meeting

that first pride call, just an innocent, open mind

the things that I could never regret or repent

sixth grade, my cousin came out, I am not alone

that first pride call, just an innocent, open mind

the shared experience of making ourselves known

sixth grade, my cousin came out, I am not alone

I learned that queer joy is radiant and clumsy

the shared experience of making ourselves known

It is satisfying, and yet still so hungry

I learned that queer joy is radiant and clumsy

my name is Mack. My pronouns are they/them. I’ll shout

it is satisfying, and yet still so hungry

March 25, 2023, I came out

your are words banging around my brain like a ball

boing bang

picking into my thoughts

like a bobby pin in a lock

so I’ll push up my glasses

and hide my tears behind them

making drip drop spots on my paper

like the first drips of rain on pavement

I can barely hold the pencil in my hand

but I have so much to say

so many things I want you to know

A body, born into a warm, pink world that is free and home

and a body, loved to the ends of its earth.

Three years after the world opened its arms to me,

it opened its arms again to my sister.

This great big world of open arms

that wanted to carry me through and protect me from

things outside the warm, pink world.

The wooden playset in the backyard

Has been molded by 14 years of neighborhood laughter.

It creaks when you sit like it’s trying to speak to you, share its secrets,

but hopefully not mine.

This is where this body comes from,

the dirt and the trees and the sun,

where it was free to run.

But learning what it means to have a body

that wastes its time hurting is more important than

the bikes racing up and down the street

to see who’s the fastest.

After three years of mask on, mouth closed, more distance.

this body found a voice and that voice got a name.

I called it Mack, I think it’s beautiful.

I learned to speak for others too.

To make my voice louder than those who don’t like it.

I have screamed for them to let me live.

The children are all grown up when they start asking to be loved.

when the warm, pink world turns blue and cold.

I am now asking to be loved.

I know the world does not listen,

so I will go home to my rainbow friends

and we will love each other.

fruit punch pouches left on the platform

and moss making a home for itself in the wood grain

hands reaching for rust-plagued metal bars

and swinging feet avoiding the six clanging chains,

but mom calls me in for dinner

I have to go, I’ll be back out when I’m done.

You promise?

If my parents let me.

See you later . . .

sometimes the grass catches me gently

but other times, not so gently

all I know know to do is cry

because scraped knees and bruises 

are my biggest pains

and having to go inside

is what makes me sad

with green knees and a growling tummy

I said goodbye

Hello?

hours later I walk back outside to

the canvas roof all torn up

like my knees used to be

to bug filled binoculars,

and no one

tugging at the ropes pulling themselves up

no more love out there

wearing down the wooden stairs

all I know how to do now

is take myself to the places I loved as a kid

where I could still breath and play,

free

from the scary things and the big feelings

I seem to have lost what happened

between coming in for dinner and growing up

there are still dirt patches under the swings

from when we used to drag our feet

dancing boy drops to the floor, bounces back up

life radiating from somewhere inside him

maybe from his too big red tie

straight from the 2000’s

or the fact that he is here

in this room, enveloped in its energy

there’s something about this song

and this colorful place

awake and excited

that frees me

dancing boy

looking into my soul, asks me

Did they send me daughters,

when I asked for sons?

in case I needed a reminder

that I am strong, like a raging fire

dancing boy points at me

in my white suit jacket and bowtie

Mister, I’ll make a man out of you

inviting me into the light

and its warmth

dancing boy

he’s looking into my soul, telling me

Somehow I’ll make a man out of you

just in case I needed a reminder

that I am tranquil as a forest,

but on fire within

jubilance holds us

tastes sweet like honey

it sticks us to each other

and there’s something about this song

and this colorful place

awake and excited

that frees me

in my friend’s warm, woody apartment

I left my sweater on the chair

patterned with candy canes, snowmen

and detailed ornaments

In a bowl:

1. powdery mix with chocolate chunks

2. 2 Tbsp of flour

3. a splash of water

4. a sprinkle of love

ten minutes later

chewy and melty, a thin layer of crunch

the smell filled my soul

with the kind of happy that 

only people like this

can understand

I have never tried eggnog before, 

but I think it will be good

if I am sharing it with these people

small sip in my cup is sweet,

but still there when I leave

cut up carrots

for Webber, springing from his water bowl

to crunch on them before his brother

and for Gino’s hungry mouth

waiting patiently

carrot, Bark,

carrot, Bark,

a thank you for his kindness

or an ask for more

I have never played Clue before,

but I think it will be fun

if I am with these people

and not Professor Plum

with his lead pipe in the study

pieces scattered across the speckled kitchen counter

plate of the chewy and melty, with a thin layer of crunch cookies

and bark bark barking from across the house

in this warm, woody apartment

Why is Peter Pan always flying?

He neverlands, my dad says laughing

this is childhood, folks

smiling at his bad jokes

this neverland slowly escaping

hugging

closely tangled

clinging, wrapping, loving

hearts connected, glued together

Embrace

bold mossy eyes wake

mirror her luminescence

colorful tangles

blossom in Mother Earth’s love

a child of Mother Earth