The puppet takes a deep breath, body trembling,

heart pounding, glass eyes deferring real ones.

"I- I did it! I told you my name and I..."

"I still fill with tears when I think of the terror I felt, the fear to tell you my name"

"I still hear my dead name, from teachers who don't know me to my extended family who just doesn't care ... For now, It's unavoidable" -

"I still hold my breasts flat against my chest as I look in the mirror after a shower"

Jiminy whispers in his ear,

"Oh dear... They still aren't flat enough"

"I still remember the tears of joy that ran down my cheeks as I tried on my first binder. It's crushing embrace made me feel so safe"

"I still cling to the hope that one day I'll be who I am inside, the hope that the blue fairy will find me worthy, though... how can she when everyone around me calls me a liar?"

"I still sob myself to sleep at night, curled up, crying"

The puppet weeps out into the silence of the night,

"I want to be a real boy..."

"I still fear what'll you'll think of me now that you're hearing and seeing my poem for yourself"

"I still dread going into public bathrooms either scared for my safety or feeling trapped inside the belly of the whale we call dysphoria"

"I still hope no one ever has to feel this way, though I know that most of the others experience the same as me and if not? Then they experience worse under the harsh whip of Stromboli"

"I still see the struggles my community faces as we take our last breaths before our time to breath is up.... What if one day that is me...?"

"I still will stand proud not only for myself but for them because no matter how much you try to tell me otherwise-"

"WE ARE STILL HUMAN..."

His nose did not grow. For he had told the truth.

Author's notes: This poem means a lot to me. I'm ftm transgender and this poem was a way for me to try to bring attention to the hardships that the transgender community faces every day. My writing teacher gave me the idea to connect the story of Pinocchio to being trans because he also wants to be a real boy but in a different way. Honestly I still cry when I read this poem.