Monday 9 May 2016

Tat, Lili (May 8, 2016)

Dear Miss Elbe;

Please forgive me
In my ignorance
Of your journey
And life.

As The Danish Girl
Unfolds
Before me
A constant stream
Of tears
Stains my blouse.

Finding myself
Needing to write this
In letting go
Of your fears
You have faced
Head on
Lili.

Wish
I could tell you
Society has changed
In accepting us
As the men and women
We are.

Almost
A century later
The pain and stress
Of self-acceptance
And expressing it
Remains
The same.

Giving truth
To our true self
Means death
To our bodies
As the world
Knew us.

Some may call it
Mutilation
On the surgeries
We undergo.

But
Soul peace
Knows no price
We must pay
To experience it.

Even if
It means death
To our physical body.

Therisa © 2016

Author's note: On Mother's Day (May 8), I watched, for the first time, The Danish Girl, the story of Lili Elbe, and her struggle to be true, to herself, in being, the first transwoman, to undergo SRS. In comparison, against today's version of SRS, what Lili faced was barbaric, in the need for multiple surgeries to do, what is done, with usually one operation. Two, if the person has the orchiectomy done first. For more information about SRS, please click on the following link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_reassignment_surgery

Personally, I felt the film underplayed, the level of homophobic and transphobic violence, in Europe, at the time, considering, it was late 1920s, and the rise of ultra-right wing nationalistic parties, across Europe, as a whole. From my own research, I know that LBGT+ concentration camps survivors were held long after WWII had ended, in jail or the camps, themselves. Otherwise, the film captured accurately, how feels to struggle, with gender dysphoria.

Only wish, our community had talked more about the true bravery, Ms. Elbe showed, in being the first candidate to complete SRS surgery, even though, she lost her life, to it. Only hope, I have your inner strength, when my turn comes around.

2 comments:

Sherry Blue Sky said...

What a wonderful testament to Lili's courage, Therisa. She was a trailblazer for certain and yes, I, too, imagine the homophobia was even stronger in the 1930's. The mores were very strict and rigid then. I so agree with your lines"soul peace knows no price we must pay to experience it." And soul peace is the goal, in life. Wonderful poem!

Therisa's World said...

Thank you, Sherry. Sadly, in being, a pioneer, it cost her life, but she found, an inner peace that many are struggling for.

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