Love Unwoven
pre-existence
my mom was preeminently impregnated by the patriarchy Heavenly Father made you a boy—she says tears falling voice whimpering she would rather hold this image in her heart than her own daughter
Love Unwoven
The tender unraveling of connection—divorce, boundaries, and memory.
Love Unwoven
Going Under
I told my mom about my upcoming surgery vulvoplasty she was disappointed today she told me about her upcoming surgery pacemaker replacement both surgeries are reparative life giving so why does mine lead me to hell and her's to heaven?
Love Unwoven
Treasure Chest
my head at the chest of a woman every peaceful life experience emanating from her body a cherry tree in full blossom a mountain spring emerging from the cracked womb of a shaded rock snow descending at midnight in the yellow glow of main street she is darkly deep
Love Unwoven
Circles of Silk Ribbons
upon my arrival our little boy said with joy you came back our time together is at the lawful minimum but love does not have fences so our time together is like a story book without an ending our destination today is the park but we will not make it
Love Unwoven
Children's Day
Mother's Day is coming none of my children will call none will visit Father's Day is coming none of my children will call none will visit what is it like for them for me to be living but dead?
Love Unwoven
Lucky Chance
give him a another chance the enabler said give me a second chance when I am dead
Being Her
Break Up
for our contemporary dance performance I wore my white leopard tucked more convincingly taped more securely all us ladies danced with balloons music and costumes from UP the night ending gracefully while driving in street lights I did not notice something I had been living with it all my life
Love Unwoven
Divorce
after walking together for twenty-eight years our paths unraveled one year’s distance, I see we always walked with separate eyes in quietness I question are we traveling to a destination or dancing to a song? when someone enters should we press our fingers together bend in rhythm spin away
Love Unwoven
Intimate Moments
while having a difficult conversation about my gender transition I asked as we've been talking do you feel you’re talking with a man or a woman she replied it feels like I'm talking with myself
Love Unwoven
Mama Mediation
we are trying to separate why do you grasp so tightly? I offer you all the possessions including physical custody why do you insist on taking my identity you've never loved me oh, you've said the words done the deed dropped tears in confession but not
Love Unwoven
Look at Me
when you look at me what do you see? are you seeing me now or projecting who you want me to be? do you bring up old pictures and adorn them with longing? saying that's the you capturing me in flatness we give more grace to an oak
Love Unwoven
New Patterns
I'm unfamiliar with this place reaffirming my boundary while she works to break it down in the past one guilt-loaded word easily let her cross now I stand, but shiver I reinforce, but fear my boundary a glass net of open vulnerability