Today's poem is by Tina Carlson

Origin Story
       

I once lived on a ditch
dreamed of a girl named me.
A girl who liked girls, lived
At the edges of celebrations.

The dream of a girl named me
had a father from a long line of witches
at the edges of celebrations
His mother sewed him a dress made out of mud.

The father came from a long line of witches.
He had the hands and heart of a girl.
His mother sewed him a dress made out of mud.
A priest removed his clothes.

He had the hands and heart of a girl.
His sister spoke to him from the stars.
A priest removed his clothes.
He told him how pretty he was, how tender.

His sister spoke to him from the stars.
He married a girl who wished she was a boy.
She told him how pretty he was, how tender.
She stifled her cries behind crickets and crows.

He married a girl who wished she was a boy.
She was surly and sad. She was trouble.
She stifled her cries behind crickets and crows.
She hid her skirts in the wild fields of summer.

She was surly and sad. She was trouble.
Everyone else was busy looking in the mirror.
She hid her skirts in the wild fields of summer.
When she said skin, she meant dirt.

Everyone else was busy looking in the mirror.
A girl who lived at the edges of celebrations.
When I say skin, I mean dirt.
I once lived on a ditch, named me.

Tweet
Copyright © 2023 Tina Carlson All rights reserved
from duality
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission