Jennifer L. Freed
In a Time of Transition
She’s been waiting
twelve weeks, watching
the news, wondering
if they’ll deny her
a passport at all. If they’ll refuse
to return all her documents.
If they’ve put her down
on some list. Will they knock,
someday, on her door? Stop her
on the street?
At last, the thick envelope.
She’s not surprised that the mark
for her gender still clings, unchanged,
to the day of her birth. But
here’s her new name, officially
recognized. Here’s her photo, accurately
reflecting the woman she sees in the mirror.
Tonight, her rooms are full of good friends
and good cheer. Of flowers, champagne,
cake. How delicately, tonight,
we step around what we fear.
How deliberately we hold on
to what we can celebrate.