Blue eyes, a summer sky reflected there, Brown hair, a tangled, wind-blown prayer. Fifteen years, a life just taking hold, A story whispered, yet untold. They like boy clothes, the comfort that they bring, A shield against the whispers, the judging sting. A hoodie hides, a confidence concealed, A truer self, at last revealed. "Mom," they said, the word a fragile thing, A hope, a fear, on trembling wing. "I'm not... I'm not like you think I am, Inside, I'm different, I'm not just a 'ma'am'." Her face, a mask of gentle disbelief, Confusion etched, a silent, aching grief. "But honey, I... I don't understand, You're my daughter, take my loving hand." The words hung heavy, thick and cold and gray, Like February skies on a winter's day. A hollow ache, a quiet, burning pain, To be unseen, to feel alone again. They see a face in mirrors, blurred and weak, "Pretty," she says, but they can barely speak. That beauty's lost, a hollow, echoing sound, When who they are can't be found. Last year, the worst, a February blow, Their sister gone, a silent, weeping snow. The day before their birthday, life took flight, Leaving them stranded in the endless night. A year has passed, the grief still lingers near, A constant shadow, whispering in their ear. The birthday looms, a painful, sharp reminder, Of laughter lost, and love left right behind her. But they have words, a solace they can find, A pen, a page, to ease their troubled mind. Poems bloom, like fragile, hidden flowers, Whispering truths in the lonely hours. They write of skies, of stars, of wind and rain, Of hidden hearts, and whispers of the pain. They write of hope, a flicker in the dark, A single flame, a glowing, tiny spark. For even lost, and even feeling small, They hold a strength, to rise above it all. To find their voice, and let it softly ring, A song of self, for the joy it will bring. Though understanding may take its own sweet time, Their spirit shines, a beauty so sublime. Blue eyes still hold the summer's gentle grace, A heart that learns, to find its rightful place.
