Shhhh

My voice
is a breathy, headish thing
that no-one can hear.
(Sorry?)

Did the marriage yoke
choke me,
or did I always
fear to live loud?

I’m nearly a mezzo alto, they say
and the mezzo,
(I think?)
means “not quite”.

So here’s me—
not even fully the thing
which is not quite as good
as the other thing.

Maybe you can’t hear my voice,
but I’m learning.
And someday (maybe?)
I’m going to be HEARD.

[As published in DIRTY MOUTH queer poetry zine, issue 3, June ’23]

[Head over to my YouTube channel if you’d like
to see me reading this poem and two more]