Her round face rose, luminous sun, above

from behind her girlfriend’s shoulders,

joined in flowing lines as if to hid her bliss.

Beaming, joyous in perceived sisterhood

she rose alone, safe in love for a day, but

night would return her shame of stuttered

speech, of hard sums, and whispered slurs,

imagined, but survived, accommodated,

clutched in a secreted-self for a long life.