They

strangers said

“your boy there needs a haircut”

“what a cute little boy you have”

and my father laughed 

“that’s my girl”

because I was his shadow

so my mother sewed me sundresses

of flowers and flowers and flowers

bobby socks, barrettes, lace

and still they said

“what a sweet little boy” 

the adults laughed at my anger

called my tears cute

but it was shame, my shame

for what I was not

how   

they all tried to make me someone 

I am not

Susan Butler (she/they) is a British-Polish writer and visual artist. First a graphic designer, Susan then spent life traveling the world from her home in Germany.  Susan came to the US to study art, world cultures and languages, and there she remains. She writes fiction and poetry in French, English and Arabic. Her work has been featured in Coffin Bell, Prismatica Magazine, Cauldron Anthology, The Slake, Ink in Thirds, Lynx, and she currently has new work forthcoming in additional literary journals. A small sample of her work can be found on her website ouisuzette.com and she is @ouisuzette on social media.