Transmute

a Poem by Raquel Swann

I toiled,

And tolerated,

Protecting me from me.

I was so afraid of the outcome.

I danced,

And skated,

Around the feelings in my heart.

Worried about them.

I jested,

And mocked,

People like me for being themselves.

Painted green for decades.

I ran,

And sprinted,

Away from conversations.

Warding off hands reaching for answers.

I can’t tell you when

The chemistry changed.

Thoughts are the same,

Processed through a funnel

Of truth and acceptance.

With a pill on my tongue,

Watch me as I swallow it

with Pride and hope

For a new beginning.