Minus One, Plus Two OR Hir

"Meghan"
The teacher calls out
There's no answer.
Looks up from that piece of paper,
Tries again.
"Meghan? Is Meghan here?"

I sit in the back of the class.
Want to yell out, but want to stay quiet.
Meghan....a girl's name.
I'm not ashamed of my body,
But today....it just doesn't fit.

I'm a boy.
Boy, boy, boy.
But all you see is a girl.
Young and naive, sitting there:
Loose jeans, baseball hat pulled low,
Chest bound up tight under layers of clothes.

As you call out the name of a girl who I'm supposed to be,
I listen to the throb of my heart,
Pounding under too-tight ace bandages.

"Meghan?"
I'm here.
But more than that?
I'm hir.
I'm hir.
The boy in the back of the class.
Rising to my feet, loud and proud,
I say:
"I'm hir. I'm here."