They/Them

When I was a teen, it was absolute rebellion to dye your hair. And the farther away from a natural color it was the more pissed off your parents would be. And you always had that one friend with jet black hair who would come over to your house to try to dye his hair blue. And he doesn’t bother to bleach it first. You told him it wouldn’t work, and it doesn’t. But he smiles so big when he looks in the mirror.

To be polite you lie to him. You say, “Yeah, I can see it. When you stand in the light, your hair is frosted blue.”

He gets a serious look on his face and says, “They call me Frosty.”

And you think, “Bullshit, they do.” But you are too nice to say it out loud. You have known him for a few years, and he is a little sensitive to being told the unvarnished truth. But you still go around the rest of the day cringing whenever he tells the meaner kids about his new hair color and his hitherto unheard-of name.

“They call me Frosty,” he says. And you can’t help but wonder who this “they” is. The ambiguous “they.” The “they” that you use when you aren’t sure who exactly you are talking about. The “they” that you use when you are not quite sure who you are. At least not yet.

The Adventures of Big Bang Mother and Fredrick the Farting Frankfurter (written by Chat GPT)

Once upon s time, in the far reaches of the universe, there lived a powerful entity known as Big Bang Mother. She was responsible for the creation of galaxies, stars and planets. She lived alone for eons, until one day, she heard a strange noise coming from one of the planets she had created.

Curious, she zoomed in to take a closer look and found a tiny creature called Fredrick the farting frankfurter. Fredrick was a funny-looking sausage with a big smile on his face, and he had a unique talent: he could fart with incredible force, propelling himself through the air.

Big Bang Mother was amused by Fredrick and decided to take him on as her companion. Together, they set out on a series of adventures through the cosmos, exploring new worlds and meeting strange creatures along the way.

One day, they came across a planet where a group of evil aliens had enslaved the local population. Fredrick’s powerful farts proved to be the perfect weapon against the aliens, and they were able to defeat them and free the enslaved beings.

Another time, they stumbled upon a black hole and had to use all of their wit and skill to navigate around it. Fredrick’s farts can in handy once again, providing the thrust they needed to escape the black hole’s gravitational pull.

Despite their many adventures, Fredrick always remained true to his roots as a simple frankfurter. He enjoyed nothing more than being grilled over a campfire, and he always made sure to share his tasty snacks with Big Bang Mother.

In the end, Big Bang Mother and Fredrick became the best of friends, traveling the universe together and having countless adventures. And even though they were and unlikely duo, they proved that even the most unlikely friendships can lead to incredible things.

Big Bang Mother and Fredrick the farting frankfurter had been exploring the vast universe for what seemed like and eternity when they stumbled upon a planet unlike any they had ever seen before. The planet was covered in dense forests, towering mountains, and shimmering seas,  and it seemed to teem with life.

However, as they landed their spacecraft and began to explore, they soon realized that all was not well on this planet. A group of evil aliens had enslaved the local population, forcing them to mine precious minerals deep beneath the surface of the planet.

Big Bang Mother and Fredrick knew they had to do something to help. They quickly disguised themselves as native creatures and made their way to the heart of the alien operation. As they snuck through the dark tunnels, they could hear the anguished cries of the enslaved beings, who had been working without rest for days on end. It was then that Fredrick came up with a plan.

He whispered to Big Bang Mother that he could use his powerful farts to propel them through the tunnels and take the aliens by surprise. At first, Big Bang Mother was skeptical, but she knew that they had to try something, so she agreed.

With a deep breath, Fredrick let out a thunderous fart, propelling them both forward at incredible speeds. The aliens were caught off guard, and before they could react, Big Bang Mother and Fredrick had disabled their weapons and freed the enslaved beings.

As they emerged from the tunnels, they were greeted by a chorus of cheers and gratitude from the newly freed beings. Big Bang Mother  and Fredrick had saved the day, and they knew that their adventure on this strange planet would never be forgotten.

From that day on Big Bang Mother and Fredrick continued their travels through the universe, encountering new worlds and new challenges. And while they faced many more obstacles along the way, they knew that they had the power of friendship and a few powerful farts to help them overcome any obstacle that came their way.

Big Bang Mother and Fredrick the farting frankfurter were on their latest adventure, traveling through the vast expanse of space. As they explored the cosmos, they stumbled upon a black hole, one of the most powerful and dangerous forces in the universe.

Big Bang Mother knew that they had to be careful. If they got too close, the black hole’s immense gravitational pull would suck them in, never to be seen again.

Using all of their wit and skill, they tried to navigate around the black hole, but no matter which direction they took, they seemed to be getting closer and closer to the event horizon.

It was then that Fredrick had an idea. He knew that his powerful farts could be used as a form of propulsion, providing the trust they needed to escape the black hole’s gravitational pull.

At first, Big Bang Mother was skeptical, but Fredrick was insistent. With a deep breath, he let out a massive fart, and suddenly, they were propelled forward at incredible speeds.

Using Fredrick’s farts as their engine, they were able to navigate around the black hole and avoid its pull. As they emerged from the other side they both breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Fredrick,” said Big Bang Mother, “I don’t know how we would have made it without your help.”

Fredrick just smiled and shrugged “I’m just a simple frankfurter with a special talent,” he said.

Together, they continued their journey through the universe, encountering many more challenges and obstacles along the way. But no matter what they faced, they always knew that they had the power of friendship and a few well-timed farts to help them to overcome any obstacle.

Big Bang Mother and Fredrick the farting Frankfurter had been traveling the universe for what felt like an eternity. Despite all of their incredible adventures, Fredrick always remained true to his roots as a simple frankfurter.

Whenever they stopped to rest, he would find a nearby campfire and eagerly offer himself up to be grilled to perfection. The savory scent of his cooking would waft through the air, and Big Bang Mother couldn’t help but salivate at the aroma.

Despite the fact that they were traveling through the vast expanse of space, Fredrick always made sure to keep some simple ingredients on hand to cook with. He would use his trusty spatula to flip himself over the flames, cooking up a delicious meal for himself and Big Bang Mother to share. As they sat around the campfire enjoying their meal, Fredrick would regale Big Bang Mother with stories of his past, recounting memories of his time before they met.

For Fredrick, there was nothing quite like the simple pleasures of life, and he cherished every moment that he could spend enjoying good food and good company. Despite all of the incredible challenges they faced on their journey, Fredrick never lost sight of what was truly important. He always made sure to take time to savor the little moments in life, enjoying the warmth of the campfire and the sizzle of the grill.

As they continued on their journey, Big Bang Mother couldn’t help but feel grateful for the simple pleasures that Fredrick brought to their travels. No matter how crazy things got, she knew that she could always count on him to provide a delicious meal and a warm smile.

Big Bang Mother and Fredrick the farting frankfurter had landed on a planet unlike any they had ever seen before. The inhabitants were all chicken people, walking around on two lega and clucking loudly as they went about their business.

Fredrick saw a opportunity to open up a hot dog stand using his own delicious frankfurters as the main attraction. Big Bang Mother was skeptical at first, but Fredrick’s enthusiasm was infectious. Soon, they had a fully functional stand set up in the center of town.

The chicken people were skeptical at first, but once they tasted Fredrick’s hotdogs, they couldn’t get enough. Business was booming, and soon, they had a line of hungry customers stretching around the block.

But despite their success, Big Bang Mother couldn’t help but feel a sense of frustration. She had never been the one in charge on their other adventures. She never led the way or made the big decisions. But she had always thought she was part of the team. But now with the hotdog stand, she was really starting to feel like she was taking a back seat to Fredrick.

As the days went on, Big Bang Mother’s frustration grew. She began to blame Fredrick for her lack of agency. She started to think he was acting as part of the patriarchy. She felt like he was holding her back from her true potential.

Fredrick was taken aback by Big Bang Mother’s sudden shift in attitude. He had always seen her as a strong, capable leader, and he couldn’t understand why she was blaming him for something he had no control over.

Despite their disagreements, they continued to run the hotdog stand together. Fredrick did most of the cooking, and Big Bang Mother did most of the finances. Over time, they were able to work out their differences and come to a better understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

In the end, the hot dog stand was a great success, and they were able to make a tidy profit before moving on to their next adventure. Despite their rocky start, Big Bang Mother and remained the best of friends. They supported each other through thick and thin, no matter what challenges lay ahead.

Big Bang Mother and Fredrick the farting frankfurter were on a mission to explore a distant planet when they stumbled upon an unusual creature. The creature was a pelican made entirely of pickles. He had a sharp beak and a sour smell that filled the air.

The creature introduced himself as Pete. Big Bang Mother and Fredrick were wary at first. They found that he was actually quite charming. He had a quick wit and a sharp sense of humor. However, things took a strange turn when Pete began espousing his views on gender roles and the patriarchy. He claimed that men were superior to women in all ways and that women should stay in their traditional roles. At first, Big Bang Mother and Fredrick dismissed Pete’s views as outdated and ridiculous. But over time, Fredrick began to be swayed by Pete’s arguments. And Fredrick found himself nodding along with the pickle pelican’s every word.

Big Bang Mother was shocked by Fredrick’s sudden change in attitude. She tried to reason with him, but he just wouldn’t listen. He had become convinced that Pete was right and that he needed to be part of the patriarchy.

As the days wend by, Fredrick became more and more entrenched in his beliefs, and Big Bang Mother began to feel like she was loosing her best friend. She didn’t know what to do to bring him back to his senses.

But then, one day, a group of alien beings attacked their ship, and Big Bang mother and Fredrick were forced to fight together to fend them off. As they battled side by side, Big Bang Mother realized that Fredrick’s beliefs were misguided, and that he was still the same loyal friend she had always known.

With renewed determination, she talked to Fredrick and convinced him that he had been wrong. Together, they faced off against the alien invaders and emerged victorious. In the end, Big Bang Mother and Fredrick had both learned a valuable lesson about the danger of blindly following someone else’s beliefs. They vowed to always stay trye to themselves and to each other, no matter what challenges they might face.

Once upon a time, in a universe far, far away, there lived two friends: Big Bang Mother and Fredrick the farting frankfurter. They had been inseparable since the beginning of time, and their adventures were the stuff of legend.

One day, as they were strolling through the cosmos, Pete the pelican made of pickles flew over to them. He looked worried and out of breath. “Fredrick! Big Bang Mother!” he panted. “You won’t believe what I just found out. The patriarchy controls a horde of zombie pillowcases!”

Fredrick’s ears perked up at the mention of the patriarchy. He had always been suspicious of the system of power that seemed to be dominated by men. He listened intently as Pete continued.

“They’re using the pillowcases to spread their message of oppression and domination throughout the universe. We need to stop them!” Fredrick became more and more entrenched in his beliefs. He was convinced that the patriarchy was the root of all evil in the cosmos. Big Bang Mother, on the other hand, was skeptical. She had always believed in the power of unity and cooperation, and she didn’t think that dividing the universe into factions would do anyone any good.

As Fredrick became more and more obsessed with his mission, Big Bang Mother began to feel like she was losing her best friend. She didn’t know what to do to bring him back to his senses. That is when she started hearing the voices of the other gods telling her to act as a god should act.

They reminded her that she had a responsibility to guide her creations and to help them find their way in the universe. Big Bang Mother knew what she had to do. She took Fredrick aside and talked to him about the dangers of division and the importance of cooperation. She reminded him that every being in the universe had value, regardless of their gender race of species.

At first, Fredrick was resistant. But as Big Bang Mother continued to talk, he began to see the error of his ways. He realized that he had been blinded by his anger and that he needed to work with others to create a better universe.

Together, Big Bang Mother, Fredrick, and Pete set out to defeat the zombie pillowcases and the patriarchy. They worked tirelessly, and with the help of other beings in the universe, they were able dismantle the oppressive system and create a more equitable society.

In the end, Big Bang Mother and Fredrick were closer than ever. They had overcome their differences and worked together to create a better future for all beings in the universe.

The Ballad of Stinky Jean

You smell like feet for a moment,

But I’ll be sweet for a moment.

And I just won’t tell you

Because I think that it’s polite.

.

You must have cheese stuffed in your ears

Or skunk juice dripping from your tears

Because I just can’t stand

The smell that is around you.

.

I’ll burn some sage for an hour.

I’ll ask if you want to take a shower.

But even if you ask,

I just won’t tell the truth.

.

Do you see the pain in my lying eyes?

Does my averted nose take you by surprise?

Did you ever think

That I would do something to hurt you?

.

You smell like feet for a moment,

But I’ll be sweet for a moment.

And I just won’t tell you

Because I think that it’s polite.

Eleven Through Fifteen and Backwards—Free Verse

Out off how

What was until just

Want this more got do because

Who through so see life his

Would where leg know into him back about

***

I created this poem after feeding many of my poems into a word frequency counter. It listed the words I used by the amount of times I used them and in alphabetical order. You can find the word frequency counter I used here: http://www.writewords.org.uk/word_count.asp

Afternoon Amazon—Free Verse

Afternoon Amazon alive and able

Armed with arched armpits

Ample with apple argument

Affording of advice and accusing of activity

Awash in awkward autumn arrows and ashamed

***

I created this poem after feeding many of my poems into a word frequency counter. It listed the words I used by the amount of times I used them and in alphabetical order. So I went to the end of the list and chose from the words that started with the letter ‘A’ that I only used once. This poem ends up as both the kind of thing you would expect me to write and using words I infrequently use. You can find the word frequency counter I used here: http://www.writewords.org.uk/word_count.asp