he colored his fingernails
with his mother's nail polish
and grew his hair long
for appeasement
but when he left
he cut it short
like it was meant
to be
one day
he came to lunch
in distress
once he explained
they were confused
but supportive
and so things began
to change
and that is how
it should be
but it isn't always
this simple
because just like
lipstick
and ***** nails
aren't mutually exclusive
masculinity and femininity
aren't mutually exclusive either
and when a boy
in his own community,
the last one he'd expect,
told him he wasn't real
like he was a figment
of their imaginations
he came back with a rage
the others had never seen
and they were proud
and when others
started coming out around them
they were proud
and as the community grew
they were proud
we were proud
i was proud
then i just was
May 5, 2017
May 5, 2017 at 9:53 AM UTC
he colored his fingernails
with his mother's nail polish
and grew his hair long
for appeasement
but when he left
he cut it short
like it was meant
to be
one day
he came to lunch
in distress
once he explained
they were confused
but supportive
and so things began
to change
and that is how
it should be
but it isn't always
this simple
because just like
lipstick
and ***** nails
aren't mutually exclusive
masculinity and femininity
aren't mutually exclusive either
and when a boy
in his own community,
the last one he'd expect,
told him he wasn't real
like he was a figment
of their imaginations
he came back with a rage
the others had never seen
and they were proud
and when others
started coming out around them
they were proud
and as the community grew
they were proud
we were proud
i was proud
then i just was
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