don’t let the bullies win
they get in our faces, they growl and whine
they spin our words
wrap our reality in their hands
toss it about
when I hear them roar
tempo and cadence increasing
a small place inside of me gets quiet and strong
I invite their loud rebukes
For I have to live with myself if I do not speak
the shame of regret
is far louder
*a rally I had the honor of being present for in Denver 2017 by students marching against gun violence*
This poem is not about gun violence but about all the issues, including that one, that get spun (in my mind) into nonsense and lose any ability to be addressed in any effective, humane manner because of political, financial and personal agendas. I have been reading civil rights speeches and it is amazing to me the parallels of slavery, women’s and civil rights in which people would spin and defend obvious moral depravity and inequality for their own personal gain or agenda/power.
