no more pretending in avatar form
fancies and flirtations with identity play.
lead-heavy lies sink my stomach
no longer playful imaginaries -
gutteral yearning for something real
tangible, a taste or a smell
a hint of individual not swallowed up
in reflection or oversight
this discomfort is soul deep
unsure where the boundaries of me lie
i'm ready to crawl inside myself
tear through my skin from the inside
find a path home. within.