"I can't draw a straight line anymore but thats okay because her hair is naturally curly" this is so beautiful.

'I would give blood to my brush for her to blush at me in that shade' fuckk

In my kindergarten art class, sunlight dripped through fingerpaint-covered windows. I learnt the primaries: red, blue, yellow. I could make the whole rainbow out of three colours. I was older when I started telling myself that I only looked at the female anatomical models for reference. I had so much experience dressing quickly and keeping my eyes on the ground in the locker room, but this girl made me understand why they say “pretty as a painting”. You can’t touch museum art. We have the same lotion. It smells better on her, it makes me think of cookies and old Paris cafés where the great painters had lunch. The colour palette I bring from home is so dark, but she makes me lean towards romantiscism. I can’t draw a straight line anymore but it’s okay; her hair is naturally curly. A boy called her weird yesterday, and I wanted to tell her that I have spent hours practicing shading to recreate the light in her eyes, but that would make it obvious I’d been staring. You’re not supposed to look at your friends like that. Our teacher says the colourmaker Diesbach tried to make a perfect red and created ultramarine. In a time when ultramarine paint was worth more than gold he added animal blood to his flask and out burst blue, worth more than gold! I wanted vermilion like Romeo, ruby as sunset, flash lipstick, scarlet forget-me-not kisses, I would give blood to my brush for her to blush at me in that shade I would take cobalt as a new sky, azure as cornflower, schoolgirl skirt navy hiding held hands or even yellow sunflower petals. Dutch painters whispering “she loves me… she loves me… she loves me…” Our teacher didn’t tell us that the creation of prussian blue led to the isolation of cyanide. I can’t breathe without [???] the poison, it’s apple seeds and seeping through junior-high gym floorboards when you watch your best friend dance with boys who will never be you! I always liked friendship bracelets more than promise rings. My middle-school diaries are filled with girls, like a pick-pocket sketching the Hope Diamond. I’d be lining my [???] with stolen glances. I don’t have a partner in crime to keep me warm. I know the signs. The teacher’s assistant, a nice junior who comes to school with cherry eyes every time her lab partner gets a new boyfriend. Throw over your men! My history professor and her roommate of 15 years. I say someone in another time will remember us. I want to be five years old mixing all the colours until i get the drark brown of her Monet shoulder freckles, and you give a Valentine to everyone in class.

The one thing i loved most about this entire poem is all of the support she recieved from the audience. By the end of the poem she was calm and that is because of all the "come on"'s, the audience shouted for her. Plus the comment at the beginning, "come on, poet, remember why you wrote it." Beautiful.

her voice sounds so on the edge of crying it's besutiful

She starts off so soft and innocent sounding, almost childlike. And as she progresses you can hear the maturity and pain. And lord I just can't get over it. Gives me chills every time.

I never thought that someone could speak the thoughts that echo in my brain but here it is... "You're not supposed to look at your friends like that" that sentence hit me hard; and so did this whole poem

"I can't draw a straight line anymore but that's okay" omg omg

This is so comforting, it's exactly what being gay in high school and having a crush on a friend is like. Favourite poem

Freshman year of high school, I fell in love with a girl who considered me her best friend. Her boyfriend liked me, he thought I was funny. She is an artist. She paints all the time. She has natural curly hair. No words can explain how hard this poem hit me.

She is the poet I aspire to be

"I say someone in another time will remember us" - Sappho. I've listened to this poem so many times for so many years and it just hit me. You're a genius, Rhiannon

This is the one slam poem that can really get to me no matter how many times I hear it. "I can't draw a straight line anymore but that's okay, her hair is naturally curly."

“remember your purpose, poet. remember why you wrote it” 😩💓

this is honestly my favourite of all rhiannon's poems. suddenly I'm starting to see colours that I didn't know existed.

I realized today that “I say someone in another time will remember us” is a reference to a Sappho poem!

I always thought poetry was for people who thought deeply into things and could right amazing poems I cannot write poems at all (not that I know of) Listening to her and the others like in "Somewhere in America" I actually started to cry and realized my love for poetry I listened to others and I cannot satisfy my thirst for true poetry at its finest The amount of thought that must go into every word is amazing I'd love to be able to write such a powerful poem that it brings people to tears

Damn if only this girl knew. She truly loved and love till it hurt. I personally don’t believe when people say they love me or are in love with me but if they ever wrote me something like this I would cry and believe it. I envie the girl she wrote this for ❤️

I absolutely adore this poem. I love how she's so nervous at the beginning, it really feels like she's in love with whoever this poem is about. Even if her nervousness is really just stage fright, I think she's behaving exactly like I do when I'm in love and I really like her performance. Thanks Rhiannon

Remember your purpose poet, remember why you wrote it.I love how crowds in these competitions are so kind and encouraging.

Her poems always give me chills omgg

Used to cry while listening to this 2 years ago bc it was relatable. Now the girl I cried for is my girlfriend :)

I remember listing to this when I was 14 and crying

I related to this so immensely that I couldn't help but cry.....for hours.

I didn't think I'd find anyone who understood so well, but here it is, spoken in colors that I see every day, a feeling of connection as I cry while I listen to your voice tip towards tears.

this poem finds me every couple years. its one of the ones i remember the most. how i have changed so much, yet her words stay the same. but the meaning and how they hit me change. i hope she has found beautiful love.

“Watching your best friend dance with boys who will never be you” STORY OF MY LIFE

The more I watch this, the more it takes my breath away and leaves my guts in all kinds of knots. Needless to say, I can relate.

Whenever I hear one of her poems I just get chills, she is amazing

i come back to this poem always

why am i watching this in class now im crying frick

I promised myself I wouldn't cry

Amazing Rhiannon one of my favorite pieces by you so far

This is beautiful. Well done Rhiannon.

This is my favorite poem ever

"You're not supposed to look at your friends like that" To the girl I loved years ago: you still hold my heart

She is incredible

This was wonderfully raw, and I know exactly what that's like, Rhiannon, because that all happened to me, too. I know I'm not alone, but it's always nice to have a reminder. Thank you. It means a lot. :)

I love her poems so much all of them are perfect, gives me chills

This is my favorite of her poems I listen to it everyday and have it memorized, it's so good I cry every time.

I found like 5 years ago and it’s still one of my favorite poems. I’m bisexual and have synesthesia, this hits different.

Everything. Yes each emotion, and word was as it should be. Thank You for this.

This poem always makes me cry :(

i just burst into tears

"You are not supposed to look at your friends like that" I am DELIGHTEDDD by this

I feel this and relate to this on an emotion level I can not even imagine. She is a marvelous poet and this had to be my favorite as I'm an artist and having the same experience (except in Highschool )

Reminds me of the character Natalie in the book Love Letters to the Dead. Couldn't have fit her more perfectly. Beautiful.

everytime i need to ground myself, i take myself back here. seeing rhiannon's passion and emotion run free and watching her stand her ground just inspires me to be just as free and passionate in my craft one day. not only that but never before has something so accurately captured that immense overwhelming realisation as a young gay person finding their way in life that your heart knows others more than your brain knows itself

So beautiful! I always get chills (I've watched this video and read the transcript so many times that I just have lost count). I love it as a whole, but some specific lines gave me an idea for a little shortfilm. I wish I could have permission to develop it further than just the idea of it.

I used to sob to this poem every day on the bus before school lol how times have changed. Still such a beautiful poem.

this has touched me so much I couldn't help but cry.

I really wanna do this for forensics but I know I'll never do it as good as her. she's so wonderful jfc

drew me to tears

I watch this all the time but this is the first time I've probably understood it and this is what I love about Rhiannon's poetry

I love how she is so powerful in this. Amazing!!

every time i watch this i think of a different girl just as beautiful

got goosebumps from this

Oh she's so nervous... dear.. I know how it feels. You can do it, I love this very much

Rhiannon is definitely my favorite poet there is and I look up to her😊

This poem is so beautiful u can't stop crying it's like she looked into my soul and pained it in words

why is this so relatable.... and why do I have to cry at everything

This poem is just so amazing I can't put it in to words.

She gives me chills I connect with this so much

Wow. Reminds me of someone I care about. Beautiful.

I got chills four times through this. Wow.

It's been two years since the first time I watched this, but I cry almost every time I see this again. This poem has touched me so much, given me so much hope and love. Rhiannon McGavin, thank you for this poem. Its words and themes are so beautiful.

This still makes me sob

I love this. I've never been able to put the feeling to words and you did it perfectly. Bravo Rhiannon

Holy shit?/ This gave me the chills. Best poem I've seen yet. Really touched me.

She's breathtaking

I would love to listen to her talk about poetry and how she got into slam poetry and how she became such a beautiful poet

This was so beautiful and heart breaking it nearly brought me to tears.

Beautiful.

This was actually so beautiful and amazing and.... ugh absolutely flawless and moving.

I love these poems

That was an amazing poem. I can relate to every bit of it.

this is beautiful. she's my favorite.

So many chills.

This is honestly my favorite poem.

I can’t tell you how hard this hits home. Falling in love with girl friends who will never love you, but constantly drawing portrait after portrait because she’s so beautiful.

everytime im drunk at home i end up coming back to this poem. Makes me feel like sandra cisneros said, like I'm still 16 somewhere within the current version of myself - what a special work

Favorite line I practice hours of shading trying to recreate the light in your eyes I see 2 meanings 1. The girl she’s shading for is depressed and she want to put light back in them 2 the girl has such beautiful light in her eyes and Ann knows she can’t try and make it herself

i literally cry every time i watch this it's such a beautiful poem

she has such a powerful voice when saying poetry. she is amazing

GOOSEBUMPS OMG

Fantastic!

I love her voice

'remember your purpose poet, remember why you wrote it' 😭😍❤

holy fuck this took my breathe away, instantly my favourite of hers

I have no words. Wow.

I literally had goose bumps oh my goodness

This is a powerful poem.

This poem hit me so hard.

oh my gosh. this is the most beautiful thing. I relate to this so much.

There are real tears im so

this one. this one i watched once and her description of sunflowers and painting and swirls stuck in me. cant believe i found it again

This is so powerful

Rihannon McGavin is a really good poet 😎😎💖😘

Still my favorite spoken word poem

God I love this.