A Woman in Suit
When I was a child
I thought that bulldaggers
wore suits in such a way
that rivaled Sinatra
turning my ten year old head
entranced, fascinated
by the sexiness and glamour
of a masculine woman

Ten years later
I come out
finding the underground lesbian bar
searching for the suits of my youth
to find softball teams, soft faces
with feathered hair
beautiful
but we never matched
I didn't fit in
low cut forties dress
cuban heels
so I kept searching

Moving across states
falling in love with the cut of a suit
on my self
on my lover
I see all the rainbows of women
gorgeous and powerful
in all ways
inside, outside and all around

I see you
rarely in a suit
and I know
that it was always women
that turned by head
made me look
the suit
just told me they were looking back.
By Cindy Emch, CA
2003 KarMel Scholarship Entry