UnfortunatelyLit By Lucas Scheelk
write a new gender based on their personality starting with, “Their gender…”
Their gender is The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula
Their gender is the Town House before the soccer stadium
Their gender is a rainbow LED light on its last bulb
Their gender is the thought, but not the execution, of a foam party at the 90’s
Their gender is accidentally shaving half their head hours before the Counting of the Omer began
Their gender is opening an email from Bear Creek Gazette and its text sent treacle black bees onto their back with honey dripping and trailing sluggishly behind
Their gender is time travel-friendly
Their gender is brisk weather not bullshitting vulnerability
Their gender is a restroom made out of the grave of a white supremacist
Their gender is leaving the overcrowded sensory-friendly tent at Twin Cities Pride
Their gender is the worst school assignment
Their gender is Data’s “Ode to Spot”
Their gender is Men’s Shoes Departments’ bare minimum sizing
There’s only one winner, the judge says,
card in front of chest, brief silence for suspense,
THEIR GENDER IS EXHAUSTED
Lucas Scheelk (they/them) is an autistic queer white Jew with bipolar disorder. They’re from the Twin Cities, now in Washington state. They’re the author of THIS IS A CLOTHESPIN (Damaged Goods Press, 2016) and HOLMES IS A PERSON AS IS (self-published, 2016). Scheelk’s third poetry book A PRAYER FOR A NON-RELIGIOUS AUTISTIC will be published July 2022 via Mason Jar Press. Check out their writing at Assaracus, Barking Sycamores, QDA: A Queer Disability Anthology, Queer Voices: Poetry, Prose, and Pride, Stone of Madness Press, Pandemic Publications, Spoon Knife 5: Liminal, Wizards in Space, and Mollyhouse, among others. They don’t have a college degree to their name but dream to run a library. Twitter: @TC221Bee
Why we chose this piece: We love the humor and the randomness that is not at all random of the “cards played” as well as how rooted in a game night this feels. The piece builds a beautiful, careful portrait. We never thought we would see a poem that mentions both foam parties and the grave of a white supremacist, but here we are. The winning card at the end is powerful.
Editors’ note: As you may have noticed, this poem has a lot of references! If you’re unfamiliar with any of them and interested in learning more, here are some annotations:
- The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula is a reality show. Think American Horror Story meets RuPaul’s Drag Race.
- The Town House was once the oldest gay bar in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The new owner changed the name in 2018 and made it soccer-themed.
- The 90’s is the nickname for Gay ’90s, a Minneapolis bar that has monthly foam parties.
- The Counting of the Omer refers to the period between the Jewish holidays of Passover and Shavuot. Those who observe it are discouraged from cutting their hair.
- Bear Creek Gazette is also a lit mag. Their vibe is surrealism, absurdism, and Dadaism howling at a full moon together in a diner on a Tuesday. You should read their stuff!
- “Ode to Spot” was a classic moment on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
