Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.
I was thirty-six,
Meet my first Gays
Tom and Dave,
Owners of the DQ,
Up from Keystone S.D.
Ascending to Mount Rushmore,
Absolutely Adored Tommy,
I had been coming out gradually,
Gradually for years,
Knew nothing but the fear of others hate,
Tommy was a swell cook,
The boys as my friend Paulette called them,
Collectors of old projectors and film,
See I worked ninety- four and five in maintenance and food service,
Mount Rushmore concession,
Company then was Amfac,
Thought I mattered,
Thought I had friends,
Mow I had gound family,
My supposed friends had never seen me before,
They took bets on when I too would join the ranks of the queers,
My dears when they meet me,
Before I met the ‘boys’,
I was a soft butch lesbian,
From a small town in Iowa,
Waukon,Iowa to be accurate,
Born March tenth nineteen fifty eight,
Storm Lake,Iowa,
The theory is a soft butch has more DNA that’s male then female,
Tommy said one immerges from ones cocoon when they are ready,
I’m sure thats correct,
I was through with not fitting into their world,
Swore I”d never tell mom,
My half sister once again jumped to crush my heart,
I quit,
Russ Jobman was a rude vindictive Head of Human Resources,
Who hates all Lesbians and Gays,
When he knew they were among his hires,
Their hours were shortened,
They would break their contracts,
Running away like from the spider in Harry Potter,
May 1st,1998,
I came out,
Lost friends,
It was like my vampire I write about,
I saw people and colors brighter,
Hate radiates within hearts.
Love gives off neither world warmth,
I found Jean Huffy on the front cover of a PFLAG,
Ridding in a car with her eldest son of six children who is gay,
Nearly shit bricks,
Jeans from Waukon,Iowa,
When I came home mother stopped being partially dressed with me near,
Heterosexuals are all alike,
I was same person as always,
The Empath poet who always was at home,
I guess mom feared I would savage her,
What the F?
I had not grown horns,
My change was internal,
My feelings the same,
Gullible good hearted Val,
Like others of my gender I saw and experienced hate,
Biggest monster my half sister Diana Lee who in gour years hence saw me as the topl that would force mom from our home at eighty-seven,
Yep coming out was like my Waterloo!
Val Whitewolf 