BORN TO BE

If my son
Prefers Barbie over Batman
Dora over Diego
Flowers over trucks
If he chooses
Minnie over Mickey
Daisy over Donald
Pink over blue
If he prefers dolls over action figures
Ballet over baseball
Dresses over dockers
If he prefers
Heels over Jordans
Sheroes over heroes
Gaga over Ghostface
If he is inspired
By Frida and Steinem
Vogues to Madonna
And twerks to J Lo
If he dreams
Of a white laced wedding
In the dress
His mother wore
I will celebrate him
Paint his world in rainbows
Always find God
In the center of his eyes
Surround him with heaven
Until his personal pronoun
Fits comfortably in his mouth
Assure him
That the closets in this house
Have no doors
That the sun in this house
Will shine its light so bright on him
That he will be able
To hear the sunrise
I will show him
That in this house
Pride has a home

He will not hear me
Stain Stonewall
With the word riot
He will hear
Stonewall Rising
He will see Stonewall rising
I will light candles
For the lives maliciously snatched
From their flesh by hate
To show him
They are also in God's arms
I will pray
That he never knows
What a goodbye kiss feels like
I will hold him tight
Every day and every night
Like many fathers
Never did
Wish they did
But no longer can
I will hold him
Like tomorrow
Might not come
He is my son
And if he
Prefers she
If he prefers
To be my daughter
I will embrace
Celebrate
And love
All who he is
And was born
To be