Free Write Therapy – Mindfully Messy

Femme vs. Butch | Internalized Homophobia Poetry Therapy

Posted on July 20, 2020August 27, 2020 by Brittan in All Poems, Free Write Therapy, Lesbian Poetry

Author’s Note: This poem addresses a lesbian community topic of femmes and butches. These terms are exclusively used by lesbians for specific purposes, but not all lesbians use them. Personally, I use “femme” and “lipstick lesbian.” This poem uses the term “tomboy” (mainstream use for straight girls) and “butch” (subculture use for masculine-presenting lesbians).

Resources explaining / discussing femme and butch lesbian subcultures.

IMPORTANT: Do not misinterpret “femme” and “butch” to decide: “Who’s the man and who’s the woman?” THAT IS NOT WHAT THOSE TERMS MEAN. There are plenty of femme–femme (aka me and my future wife) and butch–butch relationships.

“I think the world of you…”

Begins the Facebook message.

I have not read the rest.

Guilt.

Crushing guilt.

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B is for Business | Cluster B Personality Disorders

Posted on July 5, 2020July 26, 2020 by Brittan in Free Write Therapy, Living with Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline is part of “Cluster B” personality disorders, affectionately known as the “Dominant” or “Control” cluster. This is a short free-write exercise, but does not take my typical poetry format. Instead, think of it as a quick and dirty guide to Cluster Bs in the business world.

Cluster B Personality Disorders: 4 / 10 PDs

Borderline
Histrionic
Narcissistic
Antisocial

In 2020 USA, Cluster B is disproportionately represented in corporate leadership. Roughly 2-5% of USA adults have a Cluster B personality disorder, while experts estimate 8-12% of CEOs blatantly exhibit all of Cluster B’s traits.

How do symptoms often show up in business leadership?

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Apology to Bisexual Women | Lesbian & Queer Community Issue

Posted on July 1, 2020July 26, 2020 by Brittan in All Poems, Free Write Therapy, Lesbian Poetry

[This poem addresses an ongoing issue within queer inter-communities. Straight people: Please read if you are interested, but also realize you won’t have cultural context.]

After my coming out, all the responses from my bisexual friends were incredibly powerful. I felt so much love towards them — but then…guilt? I was confused, why was I feeling guilty? All the memories I had with these bisexual friends were happy ones, not trauma! I meditated about it and immediate free-wrote the below poem.

As a lesbian, I want to make this clear: Historically, our community has not been welcoming to bisexual women. This needs to stop. This needs to stop now.

I cannot ask that you, bisexual women, forgive me for my past. But you deserve an apology.

I love bisexual women. But there was a time when I didn’t.

I was jealous of them.

So I wrote a poem about it. . .

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Dear Perfect Mormon | Internalized-Homophobia Poetry Therapy

Posted on June 30, 2020July 26, 2020 by Brittan in All Poems, Free Write Therapy, Platonic Love Poetry

Dear P,

To be honest,

You scared me.

You were the perfect Mormon example.

You were everything I wanted to be,

Everything I — needed to be.

So I chose to walk behind you,

Hoping you’d show me the way.

Show me how to be a good Mormon,

How to be a good heterosexual girl.

How to be good at all. . .

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Protected: How to Break Psychotic Hallucination | Living with Borderline PD

Posted on June 30, 2020November 7, 2021 by Brittan in All Poems, Free Write Therapy, Living with Borderline Personality Disorder

My College Freshman Crush | 9 BPD Symptoms: Idolization & Devaluation

Posted on June 29, 2020June 30, 2020 by Brittan in All Poems, Free Write Therapy, Living with Borderline Personality Disorder

Brand new to adulthood.

Brand new to college.

Brand new to bisexuality.*

When you caught my eye,

I was not looking for friendship.

I remember feeling startled —

You took my breath away.

So I left my new roommate,

And I follow you to the elevator…

You laughed at something dumb I said.

Did you realize you had a grip on me?

You held the power in our friendship?

Congrats Z — you were the first,

The one & only,

Close friend I ever fell for.

To be fair to my poor lesbian heart,

You were exactly my type,

And I never wanted friendship.

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Gemela & #1 Amiga | Living with Borderline Personality Disorder

Posted on June 29, 2020August 27, 2020 by Brittan in Free Write Therapy, Living with Borderline Personality Disorder, Platonic Love Poetry

Spanish word meaning: “twin sister”

Dear Gemela,

I love you.

You are like a sister to me.

Not “like” a sister,

My twin sister.

Always on my side,

Against anyone who’s not.

You always have been.

Even since we met,

Since I was a sad,

Angry,

Broken child.

You were the bright light,

The brightness in Utah’s clouds.

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Apology Poem for F* & T* | BPD Early Signs: Toxic Friendship

Posted on June 28, 2020July 26, 2020 by Brittan in All Poems, Free Write Therapy, Living with Borderline Personality Disorder

Disclaimer: This poem addresses how I acted as a 5-10 year old child. If you are one of the people this poem is written for, please do not take this as me asking for you to reach out or forgive me. This is merely an expressive art therapy process in the form of a free-write poem. I have written it “for” you as my formal apology for any psychological trauma I may have caused you during our childhood friendship.

[Author’s Note: This poem was written immediately after a PTSD episode. It is very raw.]

I was not a friend to you.

I should have been.

I did like both of you,

I just liked the games more.

I liked the lies,

The manipulations.

I liked pitting you against each other.

It made me feel powerful,

When I had no other power. . .

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