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To the little boy who unabashedly loved The Little Mermaid,
one day you will find your safe people.
To the kid who changed schools four times before the age of 10,
one day you will find your safe people.
Slowly but surely the safe people will start to appear,
teaching you that your identity is nothing to fear.
To the tenderhearted teenager tormented by the tenets of toxic masculinity,
one day you will find your safe people.
To the closeted college student made to feel it’d be better if he no longer existed,
one day you will find your safe people.
Safe people teach you that you are worthy, purely because you exist,
safe people teach you how to fight for yourself, teach you how to resist.
To the perfectionist social worker battling his own undiagnosed anxiety,
one day you will find your safe people.
To the young adult imprisoned by internalized homophobia and religious trauma,
one day you will find your safe people.
Safe people will flock to the truest version you share,
safe people will listen with empathy and go out of their way to show how much they care.
To the guy in his mid-20s abandoned by his community after openly expressing his queerness,
one day you will find your safe people.
To the 30 year old man ashamed of the body he sees in the mirror,
one day you will find your safe people.
Safe people empower you to break out of your comfort zone and grow,
safe people are in your corner for both the highs and the lows.
To the author of this poem, take a deep breath and exhale now,
Your beautiful collection of safe people has finally been found.