While staring
At my reflection
Devoid
Of Narcisstic concern
Though
Not lacking
In awareness
Of your assumptions
I wonder
At what place
And
At what time
Did
So many stories
Become
Solidified
Activated
By only
A glimpse
After which
I'm
Left to anguish
Exiled
In the prison
Of your
Projection
It begins
With gender
But should it?
I
Appear
As some representation
Of male......
I'm still unfolding
Subtilties
&
Mystery
In
This
Regard
You're
So "sure"
You've built
A box
Are you interested
In
What I'm
Considering
About
My "gender" assignment?
If not, why not?
Shaved head, piercing, tattoos
"He" must be:
A felon
A white-supremacist
A terrorist
A "biker"
"Quick notify the neighbourhood watch
Phone network"
I do
Ride a motorcycle
Even a "Harley"
The shop
Sells a myriad
Of
Sew on patches
One
Says: $15,000.00
&
A leather jacket
DOESN'T
Make you
A "biker"
The bikers say
I don't belong
I wasn't
Striving
For this
Identification
I love
To ride
My leather
Is black
Frankly -
I'd prefer
A different colour
If
I had
The option
It's designed
To give
Some hope
Of skin
Remaining intact
Should one
Find themselves
Sliding along
The roadway
I'd
Love some
Flair
But I'll take
The protection
Look at "him"
"He" started patriarchy ya know!!
Yup, violence & war
"He'll be there
For Godess sake
There's "He"
In "Hell"
If
No war or violence
Pre-existed
"He'll start it
Oppression, famine, pestilence, slavery
Him, him..... him & him
Did I tell you
In my heart
I
Yearn for
Peace
Oh, "he's a coward
- Unpatriotic
- A communist
-Bleeding heart
"Not really,
A man at all!!"
"He has no ambition"
"Spineless"
Ah, didn't I say....
Oh right
You don't care..
Why
Is your definition
More
Valid than mine?
Even
When you happen
To identify
Other than male?
If
I proclaim
Banner "Male"
What
A load
Of baggage
I'm assumed
To own
or
Be willing
To carry
Tell ya what..
If
I'm going to carry it
I
Will decide
What is in it!!
I wonder
Has it
Ever been considered
The "cost"
To
Heart & soul
To live
Ideals such as:
Business tycoon
War "hero"
Sports legend
Entertainment Superstar
Or
The devastation
Realized
At not
Attaining
Any of them?
In
Many cases
One
Is fucked
Either way.
A
Wave of relief
I was informed
Of
A washroom "code"
At the start
Of my
Restaurant visit
Post meal
I still remembered
The code
Without having
To ask again!!
In the restroom
Along with
One additional
Patron
Whom was successful
At activating
The automatic
Towel dispenser
Mine
Mocked
My very existence
Paper towels
DENIED!!!
Aren't
Such mechanical
Prowess
Imprinted
On my DNA?
Exit first
Patron number one
Not without
My face saving
Theatrics
I
Got towels
From the
"Other" machine
Waving at
The first machine
On the way out
It dispensed me
A towel
This
Really isn't
My circus
I'm not
The boss
Of it.....
In my
Younger life
I've been
Scorned
and/or
Humiliated
For walking in
The "wrong" bathroom
Now the bathrooms
Are "gender neutral"
WTF??
How am I
To cope
With that?
R. O'Neill (November 20, 2019)
No comments:
Post a Comment