My girlfriend shows me the Little Mermaid
tennis shoes on Etsy
and my heart aches.
The type of thing I could never wear in public.
Only in private.
At friends’ houses,
Pride festivals,
certain conferences,
safe spaces.
Like nail polish,
they’re such a harmless thing
that brings so much joy.
I hate my tiny world so much.
In my next life, I want to be
a genetic girl.
My bucket list for her is becoming rather long.
And so the cycle goes.
Is anyone’s life one’s own?