this is clearly so personal to the author and so so beautifully written. trans experience is so unique. i don't relate to this almost at all but i feel the emotion in every word.
this is a survival story. this is a poem celebrating transness. transness reads in this poem as an incredibly important or even crucial aspect of why and how the author loves. i really don't relate to that - that's not why i love, and i would never share my deadname, especially not on the second date - but i can see the beauty in the author's perspective and how it's portrayed here.
and it's not making a grand statement about trans love. it's not saying this is a universal experience. Like, the fact that i play magic has nothing to do with my transness and i don't like how often the two end up associated in memes, but i don't feel interrogated by this poem because it's just part of this one experience in the author's life. it's beautiful and personal and deeply emotional and i love it.
i love this poem because it isn't relatable for me, just as much as i'm sure it is for other trans people. and i dunno, that's kind of amazing, right?
aaaaaaa thank you so much that is very high praise!!! thank you for seeing me and my work <3
