your lungs couldn’t take in enough air, and your eyes grew raw from the tears. this is for the strongest person I know, even when she did not see her strength. this is for the girl who never gave up on herself. the girl who never gave up on me. this is for her. this is for me. this is for us.

Permission to Be (permission to feel) : North, Karlee R Permission to Be (permission to feel) : North, Karlee R

my heart is surrounded by golden armor. she is protected. she is fierce. she does not let anyone in. nobody gets to hold her. she wants to take off her armor, lose herself in your arms, but she keeps asking the mind for permission. and the mind keeps reminding her, that nothing lasts forever. so the heart sheds a tear and keeps her armor on, and turns you away because she is told to believe that this isn’t forever, but nothing is forever. that’s what makes life so magical and meaningful. the mind is so scared. the heart, a hopeless romantic. the soul, craving to feel: There are poems in this collection that discuss topics such as heartbreak, intimacy, and the relationships that we make with other people. My coming out as homosexual and my falling in love with my closest buddy are both stories that are told in this book. The author raises awareness and teaches readers about LGBT love and acceptance via the medium of poetry. Caution: the subject matter discussed in this book may be too intense or disturbing for some of the book’s readers. These include the following: together (virtually) after and it helped. I have some introspection to do, and lots of self-care. I’m less afraid to be alone with my thoughts. they have calmed, no more anger. no more frustration. I still have questions, but I’m coming to terms with leaving them unanswered. she said no, there is nothing more that I can do. I said what was on my chest, and she gave me the answer I need to move on. I have to trust the timing of my life. I’m so proud of myself. so a LOT has happened since my friends and I moved into an apartment together (Aleyah being one of them). She told me that she has feeling for me after we had a drunken night of going a little too far. and it’s been a wild ride. we’ve made out a few times, and I’m definitely not straight (which never actually needed physical confirmation, but I have it). we have decided to just “vibe” and see where things go. I still struggle to make moves on her because I have spent so long trying to move on. I am terrified of myself and my sexuality. I just wish I could stop caring about whatwe make the perfect friends, but neither of us know how to make the first move. it’s eating me alive. I cannot live with this secret much longer. the conversation is coming. I’m building up enough courage to set myself free. stay tuned. my mind is so resistant to intimacy. I’m not sure when I became so closed off to the world. what a shame it is not to allow yourself to feel. to soak it all in. maybe that is the point of all this: to feel as much as we can until we can’t feel anymore. in our twenties, our senses

permission to love by karlee north DOWNLOAD EBOOK [PDF] permission to love by karlee north

this is the story of a girl who fell in love with her best friend- who then rejected her. so the girl spent the summer working on herself and exploring her sexuality…and then the friend confessed her love to the girl and then they took a chance on ruining their friendship to experience (potentially) what their love story could feel like. and now, the former best f; riends are queer lovers: navigating the ins and outs of being a queer couple and being in love. This put together book of separate journal entries/story/poems feels so personal, and like I’m just having a one on one conversation with the writer. It’s deep, it’s meaningful and it’s for anyone that has ever questioned their own sexuality. Or anyone that’s had days where they didn’t know their purpose, and they might need a little reminder that they matter. karlee rose is a twenty-three-year-old queer poet looking to connect to the world with her poems. she has been writing poetry since she was a little girl and has been enjoying the bliss of sharing them. she has a science degree she probably won’t ever use. so for now, she shares her words with you. the ultimate goal of her poetry is to be a safe haven for the queer community, as well as bring representation to the poetry world: especially in regard to queer love. There are three parts: one for you, one for me, and one for us as a whole. The poetry tells the story of a person who falls in love with their best friend while simultaneously discovering who they really are. the coming to terms with being queer, both the experience and the realisation, as well as the acceptance that this may be her life. The fact that this collection of poetry may be read both as a story and as individual pieces is one of my favourite aspects of the book. what is the point of living if we cannot be true to ourselves? to fully trust our hearts to lead us in the right direction? on my death bed, I want to know that I gave my all to the people that I love. that I chased after my dreams relentlessly and fearlessly. that I showed up as my authentic self, day in and day out. I want to say that love was my best friend. I want love to lay with me when I take my last breath. I want to be love. I want to give love. and I want to be loved.this is for you. in the moments you spent curled up in a ball on the floor of the shower, waiting for your lungs to catch up with your need for oxygen. on the nights when all that you felt was sadness, when even being numb was too hard. on the nights you felt so unimaginably alone, so disconnected from yourself. on the nights you needed to be held, but laid on the cold floor instead. on the nights when your only companion was the pain in the voices of those who sang the sad songs ringing through your headphones. sober me is really good at hiding it, but I am so attracted to you. the way you smile. the way you exist. the way you look at me. I just want to kiss you. to feel your lips. everything could make sense then. all I want is to be honest with you, but I’m afraid I never will be. I’m too afraid of rejection. and a world in which I’m gay. I don’t know how to feel. I don’t know how you feel…