The poem is a short, broken-up argument, and it reads like a conversation where one voice keeps pushing back. The speaker, who is titled Elijah, says plainly, "im a boy." Each time, another voice answers by denying it: "no youre not," "youre a girl." That voice even refuses the name, saying "im calling you it," as if it has the right to decide who the speaker is.
What stands out is how little the speaker says. The lines are short, lowercase and almost unpunctuated, so they sound quiet and tired rather than loud. The speaker doesn't win with a clever reply. They just keep stating the truth: "its he," and finally "im not a girl." The ellipses make it feel like each reply takes effort.
The mood is tense and sad, but there is also steadiness. Being told who you are, again and again, is painful, yet the speaker holds on to their own identity, and the poem ends on that firm, simple statement.