“A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing.” – Oscar Wilde
Once, an old man at a con
referred to a trans writer
as two people—”they”
are they twins?
are they brother and sister?
are they friends?
And sometimes this is how
I feel—
like a crowd within my skin
except all the people
are aliens—
she and he and them
with slick, jelly skin
long, snuffling protuberances
glittering, fern-like hair
eyes like galaxies
mouths like volcanoes
hearts turned inside out
and they all crowd so close
and they all breathe the same air
and they all stand naked
under my earthling gaze—
queering, othering them
I wish I could take them
with me–this nation inside of me
where all the boundaries are suggestions
where all the maps
end in blank spaces
here be dragons
here be queer
here be they
| Holly Lyn Walrath is a writer, editor, and publisher. Her poetry and short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, Analog, and Flash Fiction Online. She is the author of several books of poetry, including Glimmerglass Girl (2018), The Smallest of Bones (2021), and Numinous Stones (2023). She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Texas and a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Denver. |  |