Kids In The Cages (BxB)

The knot in my stomach, a tightened steel band,
I ran like a fugitive, phone in hand.
To your door, Ryan, a sanctuary found,
Away from the questioning, judging ground.

Max is my name, and truth I've concealed,
A secret I cherished, meticulously sealed.
Until the bomb dropped, a letter misplaced,
My mother's pale face, with anger embraced.

Her questions, like needles, sharp, pointed, and cold,
A story I built, beginning to fold.
She saw the reflection, the glint in my eye,
The lie I was living, beneath a false sky.

"Are you... are you that way, Max, tell me the truth!"
The words hung like daggers, stealing my youth.
I stammered and faltered, a web I had spun,
Now collapsing around me, the damage begun.

So I ran, Ryan, I ran to your light,
A beacon of comfort in this desperate plight.
You, who understand acceptance and grace,
The fear in my heart, etched upon my face.

Because you, my dear friend, know what it means,
To live in the shadows, behind fabricated scenes.
And now, I confess, with trembling breath,
The secret I've guarded, since the edge of death.

Ryan, I'm gay too, a truth I impart,
But now Mom knows, and tears me apart.
So hold me, my friend, until the storm's passed,
And help me find courage, to face it at last.

Max--