El Problema

This is a poem I submitted as part of my portfolio. For me, it is about a man who feels like a woman on the inside, this is shown not only through the content but the language used. The words in bold are irregular in Spanish, they end with the feminine '-

I cannot help the way this body formed,
like those foreign words
that long to be feminine,
but can’t.
Gendered noun confusion –
The problem is male.

Born to a body that is not true.
Disturbance in the eyes and the mind.
An artistic balance –
the harmony of two?
Or a jarring discord
and there’s no cure?

The cold water hits me,
behind the stick man’s door.
Is this the one I should choose?
I run from the painted, pointed skirts,
a triangle dividing life.
But I dream of diving into that world
of pink, of curves, of soft skin.

A glance into a looking glass –
Which witness am I?
Until I know
I write the poems,
irregular like language –

The day will come,
I’ll change the problem
to a singing note.

Author's Note

Any interpretation is welcome, and I am extremely grateful for any constructive criticism.

Reviews

[KUFU]

Interesting. Sexuality is not two signs on a door, go by that and you will be woefully misinformed as to the nature of sexuality. Sure there are two definitive SEXES (M/F), but this is for reproductive purposes only. Sexuality is a mind-set...just go to any gay bar or fetish club and you will see the myriad forms of sexuality that both men and women participate in and/or express. This is why there is so much neurosis in the world. Even the Catholic Church says it's wrong to "touch" yourself. How silly. If one chooses to be "Holy", let them. The "Holy" person should not however project their concepts of life upon the "worldly" person. Do this and neurosis is sure to set in. Men and women should concentrate on themselves and their salvation. To go around and consider who is doing what in his/her bedroom is just the ultimate invasion of privacy. So what a man may act like a woman or vice-versa, what does that have to do with reproduction? Gender confusion is a construct of the minds of intrusive idiots attempting to usurp men and women of their divinely given right to choice.