The Weirdest Beard

My friends like me better
When I have a beard.
They used to say
They liked my face
Now when I shave
They exclaim, “Mistake!”
All the dads call me Rush
All the moms call me Jesus.
Girls roll their eyes
Guys offer high fives.

When I was little
I used to look in the mirror
Staring at my face,
And I’d try to picture
That face growing old.
Now I stare and wonder,
Is my baby face still there
Beneath the copper hair?

When my head of hair first grew long
Everyone told me it looked wrong.
People used to call me ma’am
Asked me if I felt like a man.
Dad called me daughter
And Mom just stopped calling.
But with my new fancy beard,
No one wonders anymore.
It’s like a dick on my face
That doubles my age.

Do I feel like a man?
I’m not too sure what that means.
I’m not big or strong
Or dark or tall.
I’m not too handsome
And when friends smoke cigars
I’d rather not have one.
I don’t like meat or golf
I don’t like sports or boobs.
My skin is soft
My hair is too.
I wanna wear dresses
And still be called a dude.

When I see my reflection,
Lots of times it doesn’t look like me.
My face changes
Almost as much
As my personality.
And people change too.
It’s weird to see
How something so simple
As a beard on me
Can change so much.

People are a lot nicer
To my newest face.
They ask if I’m in a band
And when a jar needs opening,
They know that I can.
But I still don’t know
If I feel like a man.
I just know that now I look like one.