The Days On Which Trans Women (I) win by Zuggie Tate
- Shade Literary Arts
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 3
When the sun greets well-slept eyelids when the nail doesn’t break when the voice
doesn’t crack, when the bus grandmother says hello sweetness when she pulls a honeycomb
smile from this hive of a mouth when the door is held when her favorite flowers bloom
when the night sky begins to twinkle when her stars aline When she makes it home When
she makes it home When she finally makes it home when the key doesn’t break
when home is a place to be run to when house is sanctuary when she only has a bucket
to piss in when her last two cents is the only money she got when the rain comes
when the heavens open up when it pours out a blessing when every tear evaporates
into rainbows when every promise is kept when every pronoun is correct
every boundary respected when she holds herself at night when the heat holds her
back when moon is her only companion when tv shows are the only family she got
when her mother finally accepts her daughter when the bough eventually does break and
the baby does fall,
When she can’t keep herself from falling apart when she starts to take her meds
when they start to work when shame is all drank when every sorrow swallowed
when a mirror becomes a dearest friend when the reflection says I love you back
When the whole world comes around to see what she’s seen all along
When the universe arches its back and corrects itself
When each breath is only for her to control
She wins, alive again in a world that barely noticed
the victories but wouldn’t be the same if ever she had lost

ZUGGIE TATE is a poet and spoken word artist with a BA in Sociology from Case Western Reserve University. Her work is rooted in her intersectional identity as a Black, Trans, Larger-Bodied, Poverty-Born Woman living with invisible disabilities. Through her poetry, Zuggie creates spaces where Black Trans Women feel affirmed while inviting broader audiences into empathy, re-education, and acceptance.
Zuggie’s work has appeared in Black Midwest Anthology, Wasteland Review, Exposed Bone Lit Mag, and Verum Literary Press. She is the recipient of Margie Hope’s 2023 Living Heritage Award for her advocacy and poetry addressing Trans issues. A fellow at Twelve Literary Arts, Assembly of the Arts, and The Watering Hole, she has also participated in workshops hosted by Torch Literary Arts, Flash in the Pan!, and Deathrattle Press. In 2023, she was voted Cleveland Scene’s No. 2 Poet and has performed at venues such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Public Theatre, and Heights Arts. She has also been invited to be a panelist at Literary Cleveland’s 2024 Inkubator Conference. She is also a 2025 Cleveland Arts Prize’s Verge Fellow and a 2025 Literary Cleveland Amplify Fellow.
Currently, Zuggie is working on her debut poetry collection, Abomination Pink. She aspires to publish her first book, attend more artist residencies, and pursue an MFA in Creative Writing, continuing her mission to create transformative art that uplifts the Black Trans Woman experience.
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