Thirteen years ago
First time carded
Wasn't racism
Rather transphobia.
Police officer accused me
Break-and-entering
A lie - both knew it.
Like a bully
Invaded my personal space
Aggressively.
Minutes from
My basement apartment
And safety.
For my tired
And hungry body
Finished 10 hour shift.
Add 3 hours
If buses running on-time
On 2 transit systems
Round trip commute.
Quickly and quietly
Followed instructions
To avoid escalation
Feared being assaulted.
Biggest mistake
Showing transit transfer
Triggered a switch
Personal verbal attack.
Tried and failed
Too tired/shocked
For angry response.
Seemed like forever
He was assaulting me
Stepping out of time.
In reality
Only 3-4 minutes
Elapsed.
Before walking back
To his police cruiser
And drove away.
In a mental fog
Took those last few steps
To my basement apartment.
Wondering
WTH happened
Just now.
As the apartment door
Closes behind me
For that night.
Therisa © 2019
Author’s note: For those wondering, I didn’t report this police officer to his superiors, as I didn’t have his badge number or name, to use. Secondly, I doubt that his superiors would have done anything, give Peel Regional Police have a rather tarnished record, for its interactions with minority communities, in Peel Region.
Let’s put it this way: there are no special allowances for LGBTQ+ people, when they have to enter the local shelter systems, or support programs, back then. But that has changed over the past 5 years, with a PFLAG office opening up, with related supportive programs for the region.
