12 Comments
User's avatar
Kate MacVean's avatar

Love the photos and the poems!

Expand full comment
Zahira Vilar's avatar

The darkness of the world does not extinguish the light of a candle

Expand full comment
Shawn's avatar

This is so real. I’ve always had a deeply internal sense of feeling “male”, and yet a feminine one. And there just aren’t words for it, because male and female ironically defy categorization. What does it mean to feel male or female? It’s hard to explain. Especially because there are certain parts of my natal anatomy that I don’t have dysphoria over because it’s never occurred to me to view them as “female” and I find it strange when others do.

It’s more like an instinct or even a spiritual feeling. I know that cis people understand this too but just haven’t allowed themselves the imagination to realize that trans people feel it but just in a different way than what our natal bodies would suggest.

Expand full comment
Mr. Troy Ford's avatar

Thank you Shawn, I also have felt a keen identification with the feminine (without actually being trans) and the disappointment that people have expressed over my not being a "man's man" has been baffling and hurtful. 🩵

Expand full comment
Keith Aron's avatar

This is all just stunning, Adrian. Your powerful, beautiful poetry, the magnificent trees, the insights in your prose, every bit of it. I, too, see trans, NB & GD folks as trees, with deep roots and diverse bark, leaves and blossoms. And we purify the air for others by taking up more than our fair share of "carbon." Thank you for this inspired and inspiring weave of art and T-truth. It was just the medicine I needed this morning. 🩵🩷🤍🏳️‍⚧️🩵🩷🤍🌳🌳🌳

Expand full comment
Adrian S Costello's avatar

Thank you so much for your comment, Keith! I love your description of trans/NB people as trees and so grateful you received my piece as a kind of medicine. That is my hope in sharing!

Expand full comment
WilM's avatar

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this. Deeply nourishing and encouraging. 💚

Expand full comment
Adrian S Costello's avatar

Thank you! It means so much to me that you received nourishment and encouragement from my piece! 💜

Expand full comment
Catherine Sanborn's avatar

Thank you many times for your words, your poetry and for the potent, vibrant tree portraits. Reminders of enduring power and gentle connections. Such needed reminders for me today.

Expand full comment
Adrian S Costello's avatar

So grateful to Qstack & Mr. Troy Ford for sharing my work and so pleased if it offers you those needed reminders, Catherine. Sending appreciation and care your way 💜

Expand full comment
Mr. Troy Ford's avatar

Honored to feature your work Adrian - thank you for sharing it. 🩵

Expand full comment
Mr. Troy Ford's avatar

Thanks for your kind words, Catherine, on behalf of Adrian and Qstack xo

Expand full comment