[2011] Don’t, Won’t

We’ll starve until our blood bursts out our veins,
or maybe just pretend, whining so you’ll
look at us, just once.

We’ll pull out all the stops - Bitch! Slut! Whore! Prude! -
and we turn on each other, shriek so you’ll
listen to us, just once.

We don’t have a say in the answers you gave,
the questions in blood we never let you have,
nor the choices you forced us into.

Take away the money for our passions,
Control our bodies and how we view it,
Kill our friendships, self-esteem, careers.

We are tired. Watch us wither
into mothers grieving for our girls,
raise them by driving the stake in deeper.

You won’t do anything. You won’t.
We don’t believe in you anymore;
we don’t believe in anything anymore.

[2011] Scream Quietly

Take out the parchment rolls,
splattered with iridescent lace
patterns telling history invisible
to those blind with blots
invoked by Privilege.

It radiates with age and yet
we can feel the pulsing of
the threads underneath:
WEWANTTRUTHAND
BLISSANDWEWANTREVO–

Hush! Not so loud!
They’ll hear, hear and
not listen. Remain
silent, under the eye
of the storm.

No, for now, write your name
here by mine, glittering
with night-shed tears
and all our thirsty dreams.
We strike at dawn.

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