Poem 10

PART I

I was a show horse affixed with blinders,

fed by commodity’s girl power,

trained by the belt,

and bred for rearing

when—

I first saw androgyny in the jello aisle at Winn-Dixie in 1999.

They were animated alike;

gelatinous,    fluid, surreal.

My little eyes lingered on their rogue glitch.

I felt struck by a divinity,

an angel of evolution.

My mosquito bites had already begun to ripen,

the mare perched upon my chest swelling from southern comfort.

Supplied with a regulation bolster,

I was thereafter 

scanned for desirability like a barcode at checkout.

PART II

I was a “tomboy” with mermaid hair, 

ensconced in Etnies sneakers,

armored by my forest green GAP hoodie 

habitually worn despite the dog days of Florida,

skateboard in tow,

strapped with a Jansport backpack

splitting at the zipper,

when—

At zero hour,

I walked by that portrait of little me,

in a red checkered crinoline dress (my father’s favorite),

an arcane of unchosen gender presentation,

when I ran away…