By D. W.
I wanted my body to get away from me
I was tired of living in a crime scene
My skin didn’t feel like mine anymore
I am not sure it ever did
I always felt like I was playing dress up
Wearing the echoes of society’s ideals
Putting on a drag show even when alone
What does it mean to be (wo)man?
Am I insecure because I feel like I don’t fit in
Or do I not fit in (to myself)
Then the thought of them arrived
I came to meet them with a soft and tender kiss
Slowly drawing myself into their skin
I found me
I molded myself together
Chiseled away the excess
Carved myself out
And underneath it all,
I was beautiful
Underneath it all,
I was me
D.W. (she/they) is a survivor of domestic violence and recently came out as gender fluid. This is a poem dedicated to them, their body, and all that they have been through together.