After All These Years

I’ve started this letter so many times.

I’ve stopped this letter so many times,

thinking of you in our old school,

thinking of you and the bully boys,

thinking of you, my merman boy

who walks with me in our school.

I hear the name-calling 

loop in my head,

sound on tape loops in our heads.

Hide yourself from the waistline down.

I’ve started this letter again and again.

Again and again I run out of words

for the nights you cried in the dark

over withering words. 

They pin you down–

words they pin on my merman boy

when you march with fearful pride.

I want to finish this letter this time.

I’ll send it to you, my merman boy

who swims a sea of hurt with pride,

to let you know 

we make it through.