strip away my identity
with your oblivious hands.

claim I am an abomination
in your religion and morals
while you tear out my heart,
and toss it with the others.

see my brains and my beauty,
or criminalize my embrace of passion:
admire my potential to love a soul,
or adore the means in which I fall apart.
take my hand and convince the girl I was
to grow up with Ken instead of as him.
force her into dresses and shape her for men,
but do not let her speak of it in school.

keep her mouth quiet; she may change the world.

stare in my eyes
as you write me off to jail.
insist on your decency
with our blood dripping on your shoes.
drown in disgust and gag at my actions;
I will not falter at your demise.
act as though writing off who I am
could ever please your God.

risk my life at your convenience;
tell the girl I was she cannot wear shorts,
she cannot play a boy in this game–
we wouldn’t want you to feel confined.

muzzle me in your ignorance,
and pray my life away.