Not Me

by Zoey Knowlton

My reflection doesn’t move like I do

I shift, touching my face

            Cringing at the rough stubble

Still deep-rooted

Image credit: Joeyy Lee on Unsplash

And my reflection stares back

            Sighing at my frustration

I try running a brush through my hair

Hoping to stretch

                        some

                             length

                                    from it

Eye shadow, lipstick, mascara

My reflection is unimpressed

What will it take?

            I plead with her

And my reflection

            She looks me up and down

Budding breasts and softening skin

Time

            She says

It will take time

***

Zoey Knowlton

Zoey Knowlton (she/her) is a transgender author who lives amidst the redwoods in the Pacific Northwest. By day, she works with at-risk teenagers. By night, she reads, writes, and spends time with her wife and children. As a woman in recovery and transitioning, Zoey enjoys themes of change, progress, and uncertainty in her writing.