Yeah sure, of course I’ve had those moments,
the ones you came here for. Holding them
while they mourn their dead trans friend,
the friend’s green skin & blue gown, as if
they were simply an angel being viewed
underwater, which, you could argue,
they were, that we all are, but I don’t want
to talk about that right now.
I want to talk about the moment after,
when their grief slowed & we laughed & kissed
like our bodies were actually ours
& not some too-small pillowcase our soft souls
were stuffed into, our genders muffin-topped
out the end, unprotected. I want to talk about
their laugh & her smile & their weird sense of humor
& his favorite ice cream flavor & my god,
the one that only shows up when we are crying
& only to help us hold the water back
before we find ourselves again, & then they’ll leave,
knowing that if we have survived this long,
we can do anything they could have done
& more.
Myles Taylor (they/he) is a transmasculine writer, organizer, award-winning poetry slam competitor, barista, Emerson College alum, Capricorn-Aquarius cusp, and glitter enthusiast. They run Moonlighting: A Queer Open Mic and host at the Boston Poetry Slam. Their work can be found in The Shallow Ends, Academy of American Poets, Washington Square Review, and others. Follow them @mylesdoespoems.
