Just Move Away Before It Gets Too Bad

goodbye to the countless tufts of white hair,

tucked in quiet corners,

where long gone loyal pets shed their coats,

while we laced shoes for walks.

Frigid wind inflates me,
Crystal ice melts me,
Harsh light enfolds me.

My waking mind makes phantasms,
They flash like unseen films,
That feature my flight from home,
My fugitive movements to safety.

In my dreams, when they come,
These flashes feel like fantasy,
Mockable in their phoney plots.

Thus my mind keeps sleep away,
To force fear of waking prophecy.

A short list of things I'll always know:
-My first employee ID
-The way each crease of the skin on each of her fingers feels when we touch
-The recipe for chocolate chip cookies from the back of the bag
-What powers a lightsaber
-I am different in a way that frightens people
-Pluto is not a planet

I knew they'd try to strip us down,
I thought they'd do it quiet,
I was sure we wouldn't catch them out,
I feared we'd act too slowly.

I couldn't know how fast they'd move,
I didn't think they'd show us,
I'm sure we all can see it now,
I hope we're ready for 'em.

Holding her hand,
Hearing her heart,
Breathlessly.

I am not accustomed to the feeling,
Of being helplessly small and despised,
An anonymous target of anger,
For naught but the crime of my birthed body,
And the stubborn insistence of my soul.

I still shine,
Even in their raging eyes.