Where I'm From

 I’m from floral prints and crosses

“The Good Book” and “The Golden Rule”

Going to church is mandatory on Sundays in this household

And Jesus loves me,

I’m from “Homosexuality is a sin”

“Hate the sin, love the sinner”

Conservative politics

And Trans people aren’t real

I’m from being called she/her despite my attempts at androgyny.

A role from a forcedly cast play I never fit into.

Girl?
Boy?

Not girl?

Not quite boy?

I’m from high expectations

Why can’t I can’t be more like my sister?

Crushing anxiety

“What message does wearing rainbow suspenders to Color Day send?”

Be the good little pastor’s daughter, fit into the binary and your part.

I’m from the dreaded art block

Writer’s Block

Missed deadlines

Lack of motivation

I’m from fears of irrational things

Dolls, specifically Chucky and baby dolls

Dummies

Some mannequins

Tornadoes

I’m from various places, many places across the map.

Ancestry in Europe like Germany, Wales, and Scandinavia

Omaha

Oak

Mattoon

Now Albion.

A lot has changed in 2-3 years.

Whether location,

Name,

Personal identity,

Or interests

I can’t change the past or the events that shaped me

But I can move on from it, growing as a person as I realise I’m much stronger than I realise.

I take my future into my own hands.

I’m from all these things

Some good

Some bad

But I’m me.

Casper.

And that’s okay.

Other people can deal with it.

- The Friendly Ghost