Massachusetts

We moved from Massachusetts 3 years ago this month
to a tree lined street
1 mile from the beach
amazing school system
1 hour to new york city
to give our son and soon-to-be born daughter
a better life.
less graffiti
open spaces
freedom from the city.
we are two well educated women
we are activists
we have fought for change
from the second I realized that a closet existed I have fought to destroy it.
how naive could we have been
we moved almost three years ago this month
to what I thought would be a utopia
and now
after two-and-half-years
of closed minded comments
ignorance
burdens on our children to explain
their family
their race
their difference
we are home again
In mssachusetts.
Massachusetts
Puritan country
where families seem to fall over themselves to welcome us
call my partner my wife
without any modeling
or prompting from me
where there are so many multiracial
queer, single, women, daddy headed household's
that we blend in.
Who knew I needed that
How could I not know I needed that
How could we have taken this place
these laws
this time for granted?
and now
we are home
and I and am thankful so very thankful.
today
at the doctors office
my son went on and on to a fellow patients mom
about how he beat his Mama 4 times in chess
and his Mommy 5 times
and she did not blink
she did not miss it
she did not stumble
here, in Massachusetts
to live
you must get it
how amazing to be home again!