Misgendering

It doesn’t sound like much

to someone who’s never felt it,

one wrong word,

a pronoun misplaced,

like a pebble tossed

into conversation.

But it lands like stone.

Suddenly the room is colder.

The air shifts.

My body stiffens.

I smile to stay safe.

I nod to keep things moving.

Inside, I’m disappearing.

It’s not just a slip.

It’s an undoing,

of self, of trust,

of being real

in front of you.

“Misgendering” by Rae Sabine

#misgendering #arttherapist #arttherapistart #artstherapist #pronounsmatter #pronouns