checking the expiration date
there is a moment of intimacy
between he and I
at the threshold
bouncer at the door of my
virginity checking my
identity
what does the towering man see
peering back from carding hand?
he holds power over my
access guarding my
success
he could raise some contest
he smiles
and does not protest
this is the kindness of the local guard
stationed amidst community
he is accountable to my
secrets held in my
confidence
there is camaraderie in humanity
passing a glance
without taking a stance
passing no judgment on my
identification
in a binary nation
Anne Stone is a lawyer, librarian, and writer, interested in the theories and practice of gender, access, and liberation. Stone has previously published with the Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law and Justice and has a forthcoming poem with Sinister Wisdom. They can be found on Instagram @queerlyloving.
