The Audacity of Seahorses

After Emily Berry

When I became a seahorse it was for this reason.
It all seemed so much easier than being a woman.
I have always been closer to having a tail and snout
swimming through an ocean
having the audacity to call myself a horse
than to growing
into the word woman.
Girl was easier.
You’re not-quite-there-yet.
Girl is a precursor to what you become and I became
girl turned seahorse
dressed as woman turned
man dressed as seahorse
only occasionally dressed as woman.

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Cory Rich (he/they) is a poet and student studying English and Creative Writing at the
University of Birmingham in the UK. He was previously published in Flight of the
Dragonfly Press’ e-journal Flights, and has headlined several spoken word nights across
Birmingham. He writes about the beautiful absurdity and absurd beauty of identity,
queerness and community.