Coming Out...Of A Car Door

Coming out…Of a car door 

Cora Thornton-Silver 

The colors that flashed before me were green, amber, and red 

My cheeks tingled and perked up 

My eyes sparkled 

My heart beat faster 

As I ran down, 

A long path 

To a cliff face, 

Stopping as I reached the edge 

Rocks trickled down 

My Doc Martens stayed steady 

Shattering bricks fell from the cliff 

And it became hard to stand on 

I am alone 

Pride has not reached me 

It was a cold, dry parking lot  

Deserted 

Still and sombre 

“You’re beautiful, sexy and cute!” 

He said 

In my mind 

With wide, hungry eyes 

Nothing was said of our personalities or my smarts 

The bridge ran across many spots of brightnesses 

Cars drove along it 

Carefully as if the surface 

Was covered in a wet, white substance

Their vehicles fueled by insects that bit the dust 

She tasted salty like marmite and butter on hot toast 

Pristine like scent-free flowers with long, thin stems

Or a homemade popsicle with real citrus flavors 

The three of us 

Sat in his car 

Why? 

A Genderless Poem

A Genderless Poem 

Cora Thornton-Silver 

My time as a woman is short and quick 

With subtle sways to each side 

My eyes say “put make up on me” 

But my hair looks like Bieber when he was thirteen 

My time as gender neutral, non - binary, and them 

May be ending 

Because my mind takes over 

Impressions take over 

From the cis boys, cis girls, trans peeps and those in-between 

Float through my mind 

I have pretty eyelashes 

And my mum calls me beautiful 

But it doesn’t matter whether 

I see it because 

My gender is like a confused wolf 

Searching for the moon in the daytime 

And my body craves meat 

medium rare 

Pink flesh too 

Like any hayes valley techie 

 Kale packed green juices 

So that rainbow colors 

Drip down my face 

After I eat dinner 

And circle my sink’s drain when I wash my pale skin 

Gender is irrelevant 

But people will still inquire: 

Who are you? 

A Letter To Popular Girls In High School

A letter to Popular Girls in High School

Cora Thornton-Silver  

Dear Popular Girls from High School, 

Thank you for the nicely pretentious smiles and offerings of trident mint chewing gum 

Because they set my insecurities aside completely 

Thank you for standing so closely together in the bathrooms and hallways 

So that I can look independent 

Thank you for the smirks and sneers in the locker room when changing before P.E 

Because this taught me the beauty of self-deprecation 

Thank you for reassuring me that crop tops and bright red hickeys should stay in high school 

Thank you for showing me how you pretend so overtly to be charming 

Because I have yet to learn to recognize genuine authenticity. 

Dear Popular Girls, 

I now understand the facade and the full-body mask 

You all wear to exile eccentricity and protect your precious reputations.

Lots of love,

Cora xo 

Beauty Is Not Required

Beauty is not Required  

Cora Thornton-Silver

For me beauty is not required 

Because our society is wired 

To think that women’s bodies are a measure of their worth 

In reality, intelligence, humor and self-awareness are key 

For me beauty is not required 

Because our society is wired 

To believe beauty only exists in the pages of Victoria’s Secret catalogue 

For me beauty is not required 

Because our society is wired 

To inhale advertisements and post liminal images on Instagram 

Of innovative ways for housewives to bake 

Food that girls are not allowed to eat 

For me beauty is not required 

Because our society is wired 

To look at our waistlines 

And measure them daily 

For me beauty is not required 

Because our society is wired 

To hate ourselves 

And criticize the subtle marks that line a curvy woman’s thighs 

As long as I don’t prioritize beauty 

Make up doesn’t burn holes in my Margiela wallet 

And curling irons don’t create fire hazards in my bathroom

For me beauty is not required

Because our society is wired 

For consumption of a conformist culture 

Which slathers its lips in a red substance 

That was tested on animals before falling into its mirror cabinets 

Women carry the burden of beauty on their shoulders 

So that they bend over like hermits 

And have back surgeries to straighten their spines 

Because our society is wired 

To be straight, white and age 16-35 

For me beauty is not required 

Because our society is wired 

To want excess 

Crave it 

Dream of it 

And have children draw it in their kindergarten classroom.