Artificial Legs

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Revised – now that she left - from an older version:

Ov’er that rail, she saw me there

Water muddy I could but swear

So hard to swim I had no legs

It’s hard to swim without my legs

Drowning she cried for me to hear

Come back to me the shore so near

It's hard to swim, you try to think

It’s hard to swim, you stop you sink

Please help I yelled for her to hear

I need someone my time of fear

To help me to the other side

Instead she stopped and yelled with pride

Woman you know you’ll never be

A fool is what I think you be

A marriage true you threw away

I want you now to go away

I might I thought drown on this swim

I cannot make the trip as ‘him’

As ‘she’ I could live evermore

And be upon the other shore

Where are your legs? she yelled anew

Prosthesis legs steel through and through

I'd left those 'legs' back there with her

Play-acting legs that’s what they were

Was born this way it’s what I am

A woman true and not a man

But then she said that is not true

Strap on these legs that are not you

Drowning drowning I knew it not

Help me now I tried to shout

Drowning drowning is what she said

I hate you so and turned her head

Was born this way I said once more

The only hope’s the other shore

Please help me now through all the pain

Drowning drowning she said again

I need you now more than ever 'fore

Please help me to that other shore

She turned and looked the other way

You’re selfish then to swim away

When you drown and go to hell

And my friends I have to tell

Explaining how you had to die

The funeral cost... so very high

You’ll drown and be so very dead

Why could you not be like we said

And wear those legs of foreign make

Our marriage was a huge mistake

Drowning she said and walked from me

Her legs are real she could not see

False legs I wore uncomfortably

Someone I knew I could not be

I will not drown I quietly swore

Will swim to be upon that shore

Where those I know will be like me

Legs or not - live happily

Apologies to those who are really without either one or both of their legs. I was trying to use the sense of wrongness the world projects on us whom are different. There was no intent to dramatize being physically challenged. Lord knows we are invisibly handicapped with gender dysphoria, and this poem in intended to be a comparison to that.

Lizzy

[Guest Donna Jean]

.

Outstanding, Elizabeth......simply wonderful....

Yes, "invisibly handicapped" is exactly what we are...

You show how you're left to fend for yourself...no help.......to drown...

Thanks, Lizzy...

'

'Sad, though

Donna Jean

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Poetry gets little attention - but Donna Jean - it doesn't matter, it was rewritten for you! Grin - backdoor way to reintroduce this one more time.

Lizzy - Shameless in New Orleans

[Guest Donna Jean]

Poetry gets little attention - but Donna Jean - it doesn't matter, it was rewritten for you! Grin - backdoor way to reintroduce this one more time.

Lizzy - Shameless in New Orleans

Really?

Oh my!

Donna Jean

[Guest sarah f]

I loved it Lizzy. This was one of your best.

[Sally]

Very good Lizzy!

Well written and I know those feelings all too well.

Love ya,

Sally