legacy of pain

by Calista Dirdja

A young mother was wounded
like an injured little bird.
Misconstrued, like a wildflower child
raised in a less civilized country.

A daughter was born
raised as a son,
growing clueless as a girl,
misled as a woman.

In the wilderness,
both are blind
deaf
stutter
vulnerable.

The women became men eventually
equally sharing torment
unhappy
unwhole
unbearable
unfortunate.

And who’s to blame?
And who’s to blame, really?