My Cardboard Balcony

I Wore A Turtleneck by Belinda Roddie I wore a turtleneck and a beanie because it was cold, but everyone thought that I was just a hipster. I drank black coffee, and they said I was just trying to be cool. I was trying to be quite the opposite, actually -  I only wanted to stay warm. I pulled out some white earbuds and tried to listen to music, only to see the scorn on other folks' faces. Did they think I was listening to some obscure indie band? No, I was immersing myself in Pink Floyd. I thought that maybe I should just leave the café before I became a hated cliché.

You look younger than you did twenty years ago. Somehow, the silver in your hair makes everything about you seem, feel, appear lighter. You've shaved, and your prominent jawline shines in the sparse autumn sunlight. You've lost weight, and your blue blazer caresses the curves of your hips as you walk. You told me you started taking testosterone five years ago. I can tell you, it's done wonders.