Reciprocal Hurt
Your mother holds herself,
fingers grip
her skin like clay
cracks in the sun,
crumbles
if you let it
go.
Crimson beads run the length of
your body shivers,
ping
pong
down
baby hair
lined legs pinned
beneath the dash of your
gender in transition:
a car
crash between a Prius
and a semi where you
aren’t sure if you are
the dented metal frame or
the cause of
the weights that fill
your chest that heaves,
your lungs not sure
who needs the oxygen.
Parker Reid is a student at the University at Albany’s School of Social Welfare currently working on their bachelor’s degree. Some of their hobbies include writing, reading, and knitting. After graduation they would like to use their education to serve the LGBTQ+ youth community.