There aren’t enough poems about the aroace experience, in my experience. This past month, I’ve sought to rectify that. For now, I’m starting with poetry about the insecurities and discomfort that I attribute to my (lack of) romantic orientation, but in time perhaps I can write a love poem from the view of an ‘ace of spades’.
June 15th, 2015
There is a larva in my ribs
It was an egg once, and I hadn’t known it there
But
For most appears a butterfly
Delicate
Beautiful
Delight
But for me what emerges is a moth
Large
Fluttering
Disgusting
Get it out of me.
I don’t want this.
Get it the hell away from me.
Disconnect – March 8th, 2016
I never gave away my heart
I simply took the sinews and cords
And bound them to the fingertips
Of family, kin, and friends
So when they fidget, fret, or fear
I will know
And I will go
But that’s also why, when push comes to shove
When those I’ve bound to me begin to drift away
I take up my scissors first
And snip away the tether
So that when they inevitably leave
They don’t take my heart with them
Flowers – June 4th, 2016
Dried flowers last forever
As long as they find care
Fragrant and lovely, they can be displayed
In a vast array of special ways
And yet, and yet, people still
Prefer their flowers fresh
Lovebird – June 6th, 2016
My friend acquired, some time ago,
A lovebird
She keeps him now in a sturdy white cage
Crooning and cawing, she titters about him
Constantly, constantly, constantly
“He’s so sweet,” she cries
“And sings so prettily” – she’s enamored
But I can’t help but feel she’s wasting her time
What use is this lovebird beyond idle joy
He brings her no protection, too small to even
Take her under its wing
And, for a lovebird, I have noticed
That it parrots quite a lot
No heart or creativity in its
Parodied set of songs
I would like nothing more than
To break that white cage
And chase the wretched thing away
But if I did, surely, she’d take flight as well.
Lines and Lamentations 
I’ve always wondered how aro/ace people view love and passion in general. Thanks for proving us with some poetic insight!
I do wonder though. Reading these, not only do those concepts disinterest the speakers in the poems, they’re portrayed as something that’s outright revolting. Are these your personal views on romantic love?
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Hello! Sorry for the belated response.
I am still primarily a prose>poetry kind of writer. I write poems when I am under emotional duress or in awe of something. As such, the poems that I uploaded here are ones I wrote in times of great negativity.
In my case, yes, I am romance-repulsed. I enjoy romance in a fictional context (greatly) and am happy for people who find happiness through romantic love, but I am highly uncomfortable with the idea of being in a romantic relationship myself. Beyond disinterest in romance, I am disturbed by the idea of starring in one. The first of the poems above was writte shortly after receiving a confession.
Please note that I am still an individual, and my experiences do not relate to all those who identify as aromantic, asexual, or both. There are some aroace people who are not repulsed by either.
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Ah, I see. I’m sorry you felt so negatively during the times those poems took place. Although I’m not Aro/Ace myself, I hope it’s some condolence that I’ve long believed romance isn’t the elixir of life many people say it is. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Best wishes! I enjoyed these poems, but I do hope I don’t see more of them in your later life. 🙂
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