alive and living

They outlawed touch between those of the same body,  no twins, no sisters, no friends, no neighbors  an oddity, the way I wash my hair, the way  I bare my teeth?

get used to that word, perverse  you might as well get used          to spit in your face  and know pacific as an ocean          just some innocent ocean

get used to flaunting  your fists  reach across wall, ice, lock, myth  across lies we don’t exist  while a candidate swears on a Bible he’s no queer

I never knew what I was till I knew my name.  Dyke.  Lesbiana, the young girls jeer  and I know there must be one among them  swinging her skirts brashly  hearing her own name,  seeing herself  in me,  and I have loud names for this,  burnt kiss, singe  risk, pride  stronger tendon  tender  grin  fist hand human natural animal hand.