Intro
I didn’t post an original poem (or memoir piece) here last week because things happen. I know that’s not very National Poetry Month of me! I hope to post two original poems this week to make up the deficit, in addition to sharing some finds from the public domain.
This one, like so many poems I share, is about my identity as a transgender woman. That’s not always a topic in my poems, but I feel like these poems are the most important to share at this moment in history.
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As always, the poem text is below, followed by my video reading.
💜Miranda📚
Selfies in a Rearview Mirror
She sits in the parking garage,already running late,and frames her face in the rearview mirror.She takes her selfie.Her eyeshadow turned out goodon the third try.
She looks in—to see behind her—to who she’s always been:
To when she clutched Raggedy Andy Ann.
To when she told her mom,I don’t want to be the little brother anymore.
To when she tumbled across the front lawnafter her sister taught her cartwheels.She wanted to turn over and over untilshe stuck the landingherself.
To when her sister’s friends experimentedwith her hair and makeup.To them, she wasa mannequin.
To when she dressed upas a girlfor Halloween—for fun.She came alivein her uncostume.
To when she lifted her handsat church camp,and pleaded. She spent years—decades—pleadingfor this thorn to be removed.
To when she woretails in the springbecause she couldn’twear a white dress.
To when her children called her dad.She triedto be a good fatherdespite the distance within.
To when she foundsomething like a woman’s couragereflecting back to her.
She adjusts the rearview mirrorand pulls forwardonto the gray city street.