My Friend

In an existence that never knew life,
In journeys where paths were unknown,
Renunciated by life and thrown out to the streets,
It was she who held me, like a sister;

She wiped my tears
With her simple ragged clothes;

Without her,
I’m a boat without an oar.

Bird of Love

You came as a nameless new bird,
Crossing continents;

Not for a lover,
Not for a husband,
But for a rising dawn in hearts wounded by birds of love

You came with haste

Even when I look around
I am not a kith.
Even when you draw near
I am not a kin.

But because our emotions were born together,
We became sisters.

You are a bond grown from
Inner purity.

You made me breathe
The fresh air of freedom
My heart longed for.

We flew across continents
Leaving wounds forgotten behind.

Nature itself joined us
Today, on your birthday,
This is my little gift.

May my words reach your heart
In the drops of your affection,
Even dry trees will bloom!
Happy birthday, my friend!

Without Falling

A plant’s roots
Feed its leaf tips :
The plant’s care.

A bird
Feeds its chick in pink mouths
With its strong beak:
The bird’s care.

Dogs
Though they birth many pups
Eat scraps on the streets
To feed their pups:
The mother dog’s care.

Mothers nurse with love for their son: “My son is a man.”
Fathers endure for their daughters: “Mother goddess is born as my daughter.”
That is cisgender care.

When the world shoved me away saying
“Why are you like this, tranny?”
It was my transgender kin
Who cared enough
To hold me before I fell.

Translated from Tamil by Sam Gabriel Ramesh

Cover image by imsogabriel stock on Unsplash