"The Sacrifice" by Max Ureña

When I came into this world they said
Welcome to the holy land
The world is in your palm
Just as you fit into your mother's

Gave me a name which slid off tongues
In a way too harsh for the American voice and
Too soft for the Dominican palate
I grew up longing for the day where
My name never sounded like an apology

Uncommonly Christian
When I introduced myself to my theology course last year
My professor gave me a look and said
"Ah, that must be why you're here"

My given name can translate to "sacrifice" and
Coming out as trans has definitely felt that way as I
Give away favorite clothes because dysphoria no longer allows them as I
Endure the bite of a hypodermic needle every other week as I
Still push down the discomfort of being a "daughter", "sister", "aunt" when I am just a person and

I can feel the knife being twisted
While my veins run cold
The world stops as I
Smile while they hug me and 
Greet the ghost of who I used to be 
They unmask me to my friends
They sacrifice me and

Making a home out of this flesh prison means
Sacrificing my home and
Your love and
The comfort in between our silences
It means
Saying goodbye to you, to me,
To us and our simplicities
But I have long been ready to sweep this ash and
Rise from the dead

Hello,
My name is Max and
The only thing I'm sacrificing today is
Fear

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