Fragile

Content warnings: Mentions of violence, state violence, queerphobia, domestic violence and ableism

I'm fragile 

A gentle soul

Be careful 

Easily frightened 

Perfectly damaged 

I'm pretty and precious 

Emotionally scarred 

It's made certain parts hard 

Tired and beaten 

I've been tired

And physically beaten 

The weight of straightness

The burden of femininity 

And chains of respectability 

They have made some parts hard

And also incredible fragile 

And that's okay 

It's what helped me survive 

These things do not belong to me

And I am casting them aside 

As I'm casting off

The not so subtle images 

Are casting on 

The out and out rewards and punishment 

They are daily 

White supremacist organisation endorses eugenics 

Ableist professor denies disabled student access to their course 

White supremacist organisation passes a law discriminating against trans people 

Misogynist murders black trans woman 

The sheer, unadulterated, unending, undeniable, unfiltered violence 

It's a cold world 

And I need kid gloves 

Soft and delicate 

Cosy and comfy 

For those moments 

Those moments 

Removed from violence 

Filled with freedom 

Bursting with laughter 

Wrapped up in acceptance 

These are my instructions for I. 

Oh my 

Accidentally sent this to myself. 

The call is coming from inside the house. 

Breathe. 

Slip on the kid gloves. 

And re-read this to yourself.