Passing Poem

gender is my weapon

I conceal, carry;

hold close but never

unholster

they call this

a privilege;

to disappear into a crowd

I’m assumed

cisgender

and

straight

to the untrained eye

which is to say

this

is the

default setting

they call this

‘passing’

which is to say

someone else

has

failed

which is to say

I am

only

worthy

when

I am

invisible.