My second essay with Electric Literature is up! Enjoy it here!

In my worst nightmares, my father transitions…

In these dreams, her beauty is effortless. She moves with supreme Black elegance, each gesture power incarnate…

She apologizes for all the vitriol she ever flung at me, crying thick tears through false eyelashes. Gentle and contrite, she apologizes for calling me a cross-dresser, a dyke, a homosexual, a gender-bender, a transvestite. Through lips painted by artists, she begs for my forgiveness, admitting in the same breath that she could never earn it.

Thank you for reading this piece on denial and the strength it takes to live authentically. For more of my work, check out my portfolio or reach out at my email, kaiaballwrites@gmail.com. Stay tuned here for more updates soon! Happy Pride ❤