Sandy

Women spoke freely of Sandy’s
five-o’clock shadow, declaring
she/he had moxie—projected savoir faire
glamour: confident, alert, intelligent,
captivating; their pedestrian clothes
paled contrasted to Sandy’s high end
Prada, Dior, and Gucci ensembles yet they
admired her panache and treated her

with deference especially when she
showed up to work…nylons torn
in intricate patterns—something they
copied after dispensing with Levi’s.

Long before Sandy’s transitioning
had become old news, she ceased
discussing handbags or sharing make-up
as an ongoing concern; though her cocktail
hour beard still poked through layers
of foundation, moisturizers and concealers
men young and old seldom ever noticed
and cared even less once they made her.