Hidden Heritages
A poem celebrating being trans
inspired by attending a workshop with Starhawk
By
Jennifer Angelina Petro
In the art of ritual
common, everyday things
take on new meaning.
The tree roots snaking
above the ground can
symbolize emergence
as well as determination
of will; the padlock pressed
into the grass by the grave
can mean secrets protected
forever; the strategically timed
coffee break which lets you
step into the sun, or the stone
you place in the center
of the meeting room table
while no one is looking
can both represent your ability
to live in truth—the solid, bed-rock
of truth, and both seamlessly blend
the magical with the logistical;
words and gestures translate intentions
and speak hidden heritages
between people not sharing a bloodline;
your every move can bind or loosen spirits;
every political action taken for good
and for the sake of children
will always be the highest form
of ritual; and this body—
this transformation of the mundane
feminine and the mundane masculine
into magical possibilities, declares
that spirit cloaked in flesh manifests
every need, every desire, every foundational
truth into being, into living wonder,
into the sacred space of what is
and what can be.