The role allows him to charge into windmills
with a sly smile: was it a mistake?

He cultivates this persona
with people who don’t expect much from him,
this clumsy gentle giant with soft brown skin.

And when he messes up and smiles
they all laugh:
“Oh, Monster.”
And help him with his errors and work.

Monster cultivates this persona
with people who don’t expect much from him—
they happen to always be White—
because Monster knows they can see his size and skin
in two ways: threat or pet.
He chooses pet

because it’s something he knows
because he doesn’t know what he is with others like him      but not
because he doesn’t know what he is
and the idea of being himself,
not acting a part,         even as a fool,
is terrifying.

– Christian Hanz Lozada