Unchanging

The masks come off at midnight.
I am revealed,
“braw in cramassy”,
a scarlet sentinel'
my pen an unsheathed sword,
weaving a basket of light around us,
protecting you from all comers.

Where are your ass’s ears now, my heart?
The light from the street stripes me like a tiger.
The roar of a car echoes the image.

The night passes slowly.
There is truce in the war between us,
between the mannish woman and the womanly man.
My balls are scrotum-tight in flight-or-fight mode.
I shall be who I am.

This shape is my only shape.
The sexual warrior, peacemaker, lover.
Three-in-one.
Shapeshift me how you may,
this is an eternal truth.

I see a rainbow in your eyes.

July 30, 2008, 1.15pm

“Braw in cramassy,” brave in scarlet, a description of Mars in Hugh McDiarmid’s Bonnie Broukit Bairn:

Mars is braw in crammasy,
Venus in a green silk goun,
The auld mune shaks her gowden feathers,
Their starry talk's a wheen o blethers,
Nane for thee a thochtie sparin'
Earth thou bonnie broukit bairn!
- But greet, an in your tears ye'll droun
- The hail clanjamfrie!

“Broukit” means heartbroken – appropriate in this context.