Trans Day of Remembrance 2017 — A poem

I rarely write poetry, but I wanted to write something special for Trans Day of Remembrance this year, and I came up with this:

Here’s to lying

to mothers, fathers,

sons, daughters,

friends, lovers.

Here’s to crying

in locker rooms, bathrooms,

homerooms, living rooms,

and bedrooms.

Here’s to thinking of dying.

Here’s to finding,

“There’s a word for that?”

Here’s to trying

forbidden clothes.

Here’s to eyeing

nosey dressing room attendants.

Here’s to realizing

the truth.

Here’s to crying,

“This is me!”

Here’s to realizing

blood don’t mean shit.

Here’s to eyeing

the blade, the gun

the noose, the pills.

Here’s to finding

family among

freaks, geeks,

sissies, butches,

mamby-pamby

he’s, she’s, they’s

US!

Here’s to relying

on open homes

open doors

open hands

open minds

open hearts.

Here’s to defying

the numbers, figures,

stats, bets,

odds and sods

stacked like rocks

thrown against us.

Here’s to surviving.

Originally published at freethoughtblogs.com on November 20, 2017.