Otherhood

D. A. Powell

I spent a long time preparing to be an other.

Evening classes at the church in the basement

with my partner (he wanted to be an other too)

panting on the floor. Breathe. Breathe.

We didn't fit in with the other others.

But we wanted to be others so we did

what the other experts told us. You'll be good

as others. Trust your natural othering instinct.

My other instinct was to flee. Somehow

I managed to be a good other, a model

other the others could point at and say

that's what an other should do. That's how

an other should be. I helped other others

other along the way. A kind of other support.

But I was never cut out to be an other.

That's the thing. I do not think other

well. Some others are just good at it.

Other others, like me, should just leave

it to others, and let the others take charge.

Who do I look like anyway. Your other.