That Name

by Elliot Q., 15 (they/them)

It inks itself onto every surface—

Registers, 
Certificates,
Everything I touch—

Forcing itself to be known.
Wherever I go, it follows,
A shadow I can’t outrun.

It paints itself across my skin
A barrage of little bullets
That sting every time without fail
Thick, dark brands that no one else can see but me.

It carves itself out of mouths
That don’t know any better,
Don’t know how much it hurts. 
Because how could they know?
How could they know any better?

How do you tell someone
That the name that has grown up with you
Now feels foreign and ill-fitting on your tongue?

Hi, I’m Elliot. I love cats, staying up late to read, and the arts. I started writing way before I knew I wanted to, and ever since then it’s become a bit of an outlet for me. I’m non-binary, and poetry helps me to express my feelings and identity when other methods fall through. I hope to become a screenwriter or creative writing teacher when I’m older, and to someday publish a book or two. I am from New Jersey.