Body

I love my body,

I love my curves,

I love my look, I love my feel.

I love my body as just a body:

Genderless in itself.

I don’t love my body as

A “female” body.

I love my body,

But when I want to be seen

As the boy I feel I am,

I hate my body.

Because the way my body looks

Is not the way

Society tells me boys look.

Society doesn’t label my body as

A “male” body.

What does that really tell me

About myself?

How hard do I have to try to be seen as

“Male bodied”?

How can I make people see what I feel,

While remaining true to myself?

I love my body,

But society makes me hate it.

I love my body as just a body,

Not a gendered identifier.

Society made me hate my body as

A “woman,”

And now I’m forced to hate my body as

A man, too.

I don’t feel as though I was born in the wrong body

Most of the time.

I don’t feel as though I was born in the wrong body

Until I am told that I am wrong in my own identity,

I don’t feel as though I was born in the wrong body

Until I’m told that I’m not who I say I am.

Because I’m told this is what

“Male bodies” look like,

And I don’t look like that.

Because I’m told this is what

“Boys” wear,

And, sometimes, I don’t dress like that.

Because I’m told this is how

“Guys” behave,

And, sometimes, I don’t act like that.

Because I’m told this is what a

“Dude” is,

I’m told this is what

Makes a “man,”

This is what defines “masculinity,”

And I don’t always fit that mold.

Because I love my body,

But society pushes me not to.

I love my body,

I love my identity,

I love my transness,

But society

Makes me

Hate it.