Coffee, Cake and Chromosomes

Woman

Original spoken word poetry about the kindness of strangers during gender transition.

Since coming out as a transgender woman, I have been lucky to find the kindness of strangers on many occasions. Quite often, at coffee shops (which I love and go to a lot for coffee and cake), and it is lovely when people ask to join me. I do not know why this is, it never happened when I was a man but I feel fortunate it does happen. It gives me strength and confidence in my gender transition.

COFFEE, CAKE, AND CHROMOSOMES

Sat in a cosy coffee shop,
Staring down at a pill to pop.
And sticky patch to wear, somewhere,
Though, I have no idea where.

Funny things, those chromosomes.
They can make you feel, not at home.
Not quite aligned, within your soul.
Like you came with a loophole.

I gaze out whilst I drink and eat,
And people watch, the busy street.
And stir my coffee, lost in thought.
Is this the end of feeling fraught?

Is this the start of something big?
I have waited long, for this gig.
To start on hormone therapy,
A long-awaited dream for me.

Chromosome Y reads S R Y,
A sorry state, my X and Y.
But I’ve cried all my tears to cry,
I have even stopped asking why.

Someone draws near, she stands a while.
“May I sit here?”, a friendly smile.
“What are those?” she asks as she sits.
“These are my future”, I insist.

“You must be trans?” she enquires.
I nod, and sip, time transpires.
“I think you are so brave”, she adds.
“May I ask, just how many days?”

“Fifty-six”, I say, thereabout,
“That is from the day I came out.”
“However, today is day one,
For H R T to be begun.”

“If it helps, you do pass”, she says.
“Thank you, you're being kind”, I blaze,
And blush, and have the reason why.
If I passed, you'd have walked on by.

“I have a special friend, who’s true”.
“She is, transgender, just like you”.
“She's had it hard, struggles, right now”.
“I want to help, but don't know how”.

“I doubt I would be any use”.
“I get my own fill of abuse”.
“It helps when people say hello”.
“Whether they do or don't quite know”.

We sit, chat, and talk about that.
Drink coffee, eat cake, and chit-chat.
She says goodbye, a fond farewell.
I hold the pill, my mind does dwell.

A crossroad in front, in my head.
Was there doubt? When I went to bed?
No, just thoughts of the side effects.
Medication demands respect.

Testosterone block, here I go.
Then Oestrogen patch, sticks on slow.
No turning back, this is my way.
One more step forward, every day.

Coffee break done, back to my day
Random kindness, goes a long way.
A smile, a word, a happy glance.
It brings me hope, this happenstance.

(c) Jay Rose Ana

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Music Evergreen by Geographer