by John Holmes

Gender identity freezes my heart, resulting in deep thinking and shallow, painful cuts. Confusion and uncertainty serve to magnify my desperation for answers. What am I?

Not knowing which way to turn, I look upwards shouting: “I love the sunshine.” The sun’s neutrality calms my anxieties.

Liberated, I chase my new, heavenly saviour around the beaches of Europe.

In France, Le Soleil is masculine. He heats up my body.
In Germany, Die Sonne is feminine. She wraps me in her rays.

If the sun isn’t clear about its identity, surely I can live a colourful life beneath its glorious rainbows.

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Author: John Holmes is a writer of short fiction. Winner of the The Times Crime Fiction, MLS, and Microcosmific competitions. Recently featured in FiveMinuteLit, Paragraph Planet, People’s Friend, 101 Words, Pen to Print, and Ellipsis Zine. When not writing, he’s cycling around the north east of England – soaking up new stories.

This story won 2nd Prize in the October 2023 Monthly Micro Competition.

Photo by Sebastien Gabriel on Unsplash