they say that
we each have a voice
and we do, but me?
it was given to me
but it wasn't mine
my voice was taken
by androgens
i didn't want
my vocal cords
stretched
thickened
last year my voice
became mine again
one teacher after another
showed me how to
make it work
raise the larynx
change the pitch
taking it as mine
means that I'm
a mezzo-soprano
who can also sing
with the baritones
link to video
Madeline Tietz-Sokolskaya is a poet, musician, engineer, and Quaker. She writes a blog that's ostensibly about tech, and she releases her music as Atomic Reeds. She lives in a Philadelphia suburb with her wife, their two kids, and three cats. She's proudly left-handed and trans, and will make sure you know this.
