He Is but a Girl

he is.____________a boy._____________with the.________tortured thoughts._________of a girl.

flower patterned dresses.________perfume in fragile pink glasses.__________strappy heeled shoes.

he.________c a n n o t._______remember.__________days_________weeks_________before.

he has piles of Polaroids.___musty summer days.___committed to memory.___on flimsy fragrant paper.

he_________________________________cannot____________________________________remember.

his sister’s clothes line his closet.__________like__________the words_____________line his heart.

day in._____________________________________________________________________ day out.

________painpainpainconfusionwordslikeanchorsandpinsandhorriblethingspainpainpain

he cannot close his eyes._______________-_without seeing._________________without hearing.

fuckingfuckingfucking_____________________________________________________forgetforgetforget

________________________________society made him a boy.

society made him want_____silver slips._____scented magazine pages._____receipts and nail lacquer.

Instead._________________________________________________________________________shame.

_________separate.______political.______units._____in._____his._____s p i l l i n g.____blood.

he_______________________ is__________________________but______________________a girl.