Trans
A meditation on a prefix
Un prefijo
*
Trans explains to me
Nothing is fijo
M’hijx
Let me tell you bout
borders and boundaries…
The natural ones everchange
evolve, converge, erode, shift.
The ones that are humanbuilt
are not immutable, either.
They are constructs, cónstricts,
made of arrogance or myopia or politics
muros, piedritas, lines in sand, bricks.
Trans nods to Impermanence
quotes Buddha and Baldwin
de que nada is fixed
*
Trans invites me to sit
on the floor in front of them
Braids my hair
Let me tell you bout
brains and souls…
One seeks order,
to organize, categorize, compartmentalize, name.
And One seeks meaning
in the Manyways of Knowing.
Uno quiere ubicarse en este universo
made of words and bodies, sílabas y células, lengua y lodo,
sin atraparse en correcto e incorrecto.
Trans winks at Genre
un guiño of knowing, by their breath and in their bones,
I exist because you exist
*
Trans stands at the window
Lip-points at the sky
Cariñx
Let me tell you bout
journeys and destinations…
Sometimes it’s all about la llegada,
having found yourself in a place you meant to go.
A veces se trata del camino,
the llegando, the going, the moving, the flow.
Both And Always there is the truth of arrival in each step
crossing the fickling fronteras of the Aireaguatierraluz,
and ever at the center of your own geographies.
Trans whispers of Freedom and Freire
floating in The Everywhere and Inbetweens
easing on down the roads we make by walking
*
Trans packs me a lunch
Kisses my forehead
Sends me on
con consejos bout
boats and bridges…
Both can take you, with oars or architecture,
a un lado u otro.
If that is where you want to go,
pues, pórtate bien.
Pero fíjate también en las corrientes
that flowblow ready to carry you where they will,
and for where you will, keep your jetpack handy.
Trans sends besitos to River and Wind
burbujabreeze missives, saludos, in lak’ech wishes
a cada quien ~ tú eres mi otro yo
*
Trans watches me
Make your way
M’hijx
Go seehearfeel for yourself bout
paths and ports and puentes…
I go. On senderos hechos por otros who thought they knew
where I was meant to go, y los que hago yo.
Carrying myself well–no de bien educada, ni mal criada
with shaking finger accusations blocking my way.
Lingering on bridges, listening to corrientes and compañerxs,
a conversation–lifting off–a murmuration
and then alighting with whom and when and where I will.
Trans grins at the starlings
sings of crystals forming, metals magnetizing, earth avalanching
the verb and verse of agilely becoming and becoming and becoming
*
Trans arches their eyebrow
at the guy who says
the problem with you is you’re confused about who you are
Smiles when I say, equanimously, let me tell you bout
borders and boundaries…
Déjame contarte bout walls, alambradas, padlocks,
y las rejas, a wrought mix of curlicues and spikiness.
They want to look pretty as they keep out, or in,
and let us peek through their fraught iron bars.
You say I should color to the edges of the hard lines you drew,
speaking to me in cursive, juzgando what is true,
what is other, what is same, ignorando, negando the boundaries I claim.
Trans sighs
closes their eyes, thinks on
power, resistance, patience, persistence
*
Trans welcomes me home
con una sopita de fideo
Mi amor
Tell me bout
how you know and who you are…
I tell. I dove under, floated along, hovered above, zipped beyond
observé las líneas y observé mis propios respiros
salté rejas y sentí saltar los latidos de mi alma
danced the ancientfutureheartbeat remix
felt the fluxmagics of the matrix
I am fixing, forming, ever-itioning, cending
I am because you are
Trans wraps me up en un abrazo y susurra
Es cierto, Lindx,
soy porque somos
*
Ahora…
Aliméntate con este caldo
de verduras y verdades
Fortalécete for we need you
nourished and strong
stomach, spirit, shoulders
navegando corrientes profundas, profundidades corrientes
undulations, overlutions, everlations, resolutions
revolving revealing loving wounding healing
molecule, organism, pueblo, tehuacán
existential connected potential
being becoming begun
aunque casi todo se cura
con vinagre o vaporú
si ceso de existir yo
también cesarás tú
Nothing is fixed
Nada es fijo
M’hijx
💜
Want to hear this poem read aloud?
So beautiful, Olivia! Nada es fijo, except that you wrote a great poem.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! I am speechless…yet my heart feels the many words that you have spoken. Adelante!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really like how you throw in names of Buddha, Baldwin, Freire because I believe that most of the ancient and modern prophets would agree with you….gender boundaries are a construct. Are you on Wattpad? I’d love to follow more.
LikeLike
thanks! I like thinking about Buddha, Baldwin and Freire all having a chat…and I’d love us all to have a chat about constructs we build and the traps they can become.
& thanks! I am not on Wattpad but I’m going to take that as encouragement 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is the most beautiful thing, Olivia. Many lessons of love and of rise that you are sending out into the world of late – My heart hears. Always in awe to work by your side.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful thing to get this message, Michele 🙂 Enormous love and admiration right backatcha.
LikeLike