coming out to my mother

she is mistaken, again.
forgiven again.

my mother, hairless,
a fountain of apologies.

she learned
my pronouns

after being diagnosed
with cancer,

which is to say,
i added pain.

if not for the actual tumor,
i would have been one.

a clump rotting
the brachial tract.

a clump for memories
all dotted with son.

sometimes i wish
i would have not told her

but what if she dies
& she never knew me?

Author: lukas ray hall

lukas ray hall is a queer non-binary poet. They are the author of “loudest when startled” (YesYes Books, 2020). Their poems have appeared in The Florida Review, Moon City Review, Atlanta Review & Raleigh Review, among others. They live in St. Paul, MN.

Artist: Hanna Wright

Hanna Marie Dean Wright is a self taught artist residing in Keavy, Kentucky. She uses her experiences from growing up in rural South-Eastern Kentucky, teaching special education classes, and living with obsessive compulsive disorder to inspire her unique works of art. Hanna Wright uses bold lines and bright colors to create abstract figures with relatable and at times deeply emotional expressions. Hanna was born in Barbourville, Kenucky on April 15th, 1993. Hanna graduated from the University of the Cumberlands in 2015 with degrees in Special Education Behavioral Disabilities and Elementary Education.