ode to the trans experience
you're in your town, in your room, completely alone
maybe the house is empty and maybe you're still quiet anyway, terrified of someone seeing you
they think this came from nowhere and you know better
as you undo packages and slip the thing over you
you feel something in you start to sing
no sooner is it on then you have to take it off
but that soaring feeling is worth the four and a half hours worth of work it cost
bag in hand and headphones on trying to ignore the glares
when you hear the jarring tones of a child
high pitched, asking "mammy is that a boy or a girl"
and she doesn't know, and you don't really know either
all you know is you want out, out of this line, out of this body
out of this tiny town and it's tiny mindset
the mind boggles with wonder at how people could be this ignorant
you're trying to be objective
but come on, how could you ever read
these two men who spent every waking moment together, who talked about each others bodies
instead you lie sobbing as they have always been here
and you've just had sex with a man who likes men
yet still she calls you daughter
and as you try to protest that you're still normal you stay there half an hour trying to convince her
only to be utterly useless and walk out
walking back to your flat after yet another fight
you see your soul smoking on the ground and you break down
your friends lift you out and up that flight of stairs
it will be okay, you swear as you sob into the same old sheets
the ones who used to ask don't even want to know