Alexander Dang Poems

1. Ever since I wad tall enough to reach the phone perched and mounted against my wall, I was old enough to answer it. And every time I did, I was always greeted by somebody on the other end calling me "ma'am." And for the longest time, I thought they were saying man because I was cool and hip, man.
2. When entering high school, I found a correlation between girls finding I was cute and long swishy hair so I grew my hair out like how optimists never cut their dreams down or how dreamers never trimmed their hopes short but this lions mane became and remained a gender mystery to some store owners asking my girlfriend and I "So. How are you ladies doing tonight? "
3. I was always a crier. And with a brother manlier and tougher than I, it wouldn't be strange to hear "shut up or buck up." Uncomfortably familiar with loneliness. Hearing "Stop being a girl" was a terrible mantra that I just got used to like "I will never amount to anything" or "I will die alone."
4. The very far from the truth, my mom believes gay to be synonymous with the feminine so it wouldn't be odd for her to question my sexuality due to the clothing I wore or how much time I spent on appearances. "Why don't you go do boy things? " "How are you going to take care of your wife? "
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