By Keira Dobbs
I could say you could hear a pin drop,
but the restaurant bustled around us.
The line snaked from the register
nearly out the door,
order numbers rang out from the counter,
soft flour tortillas sizzled around their stuffings.
I wanted to wait for the silence
that wouldn’t truly come until after close,
as if less sound would save me
the trouble of explaining.
At the time, I didn’t think I could say it once,
let alone repeat myself.
(They already knew I am queer.
This felt heavier, somehow.
An unusuality among unusualities.)
But the lesser known factors
had left to party,
leaving us four to ourselves.
I had no reason to fear
with accepting friends
such as yourselves by my side.
I’m stalling…
It’s always an awkward conversation,
no matter how you start it.
But in our bubble of quiet
in the middle of a Velvet Taco
I told you I am aroace.
The acceptance, too,
was quiet, gently curious,
a warm tortilla off the press.
We exchanged soft gazes
and a final discussion
about heading back to the hotel.
I pulled the weight of nothing
from my face, like a helmet.
I picked the sweaty hair
from my cheeks
and breathed in the cool night air
as the door swung shut behind me.
The sunset cascades
across my flag’s borderline,
waving in the wind.
And others like me
float by in wicker baskets,
cheering those like us
for the strength it takes
to call yourself correctly
and face dismissal.
Keira Dobbs is a 2023 graduate of the University of Kansas with Bachelor’s degrees in Linguistics, Global & International Studies, and East Asian Languages & Cultures. She is an aspiring author currently seeking a reliable day job. Her interests include, but are not limited to, languages, linguistics, international relations, historical fashion, arts and culture, storytelling, and how the Internet interacts with and influences our perceptions of all of the above. Keira lives with her parents, sibling, and elderly dog in Kansas, USA.
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