Hair as black as night,
Eyes as bright as the stars.

The Dragonslayer,
They called her,
For she had no name.

A master archer
Who could conquer any beast.

But she spent her days knowing
There was one
She could not slay.

It was hideous, grotesque,
And followed her every footstep.

With a broad face
And a deep, taunting voice,
it was a horrid beast
That looked just like her.

It lived in her mind,
And walked in her dreams.

It fed off her fear,
And relished in her doubt.

The beast had a name,
One she wished she could forget.

It was the beast that silenced her
When she needed her voice the most.

Face scarred by hatred
Fallen daughter of Sweden
Hibiscus Mirage

You say you understand.
You say you know better than we do.
But do you really?

Do you know what it’s like
Being ashamed of who you are?
To hide behind a mask that doesn’t fit
Because you’d be hurt even more otherwise?

These people, they didn’t know me.
They didn’t know anything about me.
I could have told them the truth.
And yet I lied again.

“I don’t have a gender,” I wrote to them.
Because I was afraid.
Afraid that if I told them otherwise,
They’d leave me. Just like everyone else.

I could tell someone the truth,
But I know they’d just make fun of it.
“Then I’m a heavy crossbow!” They’d say with a smile,
And laugh it off like they said nothing wrong.

Say the truth and I’d be made fun of,
Ask for acceptance and I’d be shunned.
Say anything more and I’d be beaten or lynched.
No matter what I do, there’s no way out.

I stare at the dress in my closet,
Surrounded by clothes I hate.

I want to wear it, feel that euphoria
When I’m not forced into
Clothing that shouldn’t be mine.

But I know what he would say.

I’m stupid, I’m a disgrace.
Why would I give up my position to live like a woman?

Not like I’ve ever wanted to be his heir.
Not like I’ve ever cared
About the torture of life as a noble.

- - - - -

I accidentally open my closet
A bit too much,
And catch a glimpse of my old
Dresses and bras.

Things I wish I didn’t have to wear,
But have no other choice
As long as I have... these.

I could use my hunting knife,
But then I would likely bleed out and die.

Or I could cast a disguise spell
And hide behind someone who isn’t me.
Just like I’ve been doing every day.

The fire calls
And the tide rises
And there is but a song
As the world reprises

The ground below us quakes
And the wind roars above us
And there is but a song
As the world begins its chorus

The light shines down
On the darks great curse
And there is but a song
As the world starts another verse

Aye well let me tell you here
Bout a man to me so dear
When ever after seemed
Like it was simply meant to be

I wish I was a maiden fair
But eyes did stray to blonder hair
So secrets in the dark did keep
And my devotions left to weep

Bowing low before the throne
And pleading never to have known
The last of men to which I bowed
Before I left the solid ground

Now I sail the ocean blue
And the only men here are my crew
So pop the cork and drink away
The sea is where I'll always stay

Now tyrant monarchs may rule the lands
But they cannot stop our merry band
So call us scoundrels and call us thieves
We live on the water and sing to the breeze

So if you are lost, listen to our sound
The wind on the water tells ya you've been found
The compass will guide us so hoist up the sail
The Last Chance is our vessel for which we prevail

The moment it all goes off the rails,
I remind myself:
the rails don’t exist.
And once I actually believe it,
the rails disappear.

The gleam in their eyes
-don’t miss it! It’s gone before you know it-
when they realize that the whole time
they were staring right at the solution
and the joy that comes
from knowing the answer
makes me want to refute them,
so I can amaze them again.

Sometimes it’s stressful
when I’m unprepared
and nervous, because
I fear they might think
I’m not doing my job.
But when I feel good
having put in work
and seeing it all
pay off, I feel
amazed at
the fear
that no
longer
taunts
me