Bird Brains

When different minds combine
opinions might not align.
that's fine...
just fine.
tastes vary.
some movies are too scary.
that's fine...
fine.
there's one thing though. One thing people keep forgetting...

Bigotry is not a political opinion
& I'm sick & tired of you calling me a minion
of the far left
of course I'm upset
because you say you protect
our country from the ideas I elect

Sure you're oppressed in your own way
but it's not a competition
we should all get a say
in how we are treated
& I won't be defeated
as I know I am right
to want the same treatment
as a man without debate &
I find it absurd that when I utter one
word about the issues they face,
you say you don't see a trace
& so I pull up the facts
"They're biased!"
no, stats that were taken straight from modern day in
YOUR country.

Somehow you manage to brush off this information
with "it depends on the situation"
that's shit & you know it
well, fine. Let's keep going.
Want to hear what I've experienced before the age of seventeen?

I could tell you.
I might.
But it's all so obscene.
Would you believe me?
& if you do
Would you defend me?
Don't want you to.
That's blood on my hands
& you still wouldn't understand
because you can't see beyond the scope of your little world.

I give up.
It's not fine.

h.c.kowal is a writer who specializes in poetry and creative non-fiction. She is a contributor to the wonderful feminist UK-based magazine Heroica.co and is passionate about gender equality. She uses social platforms such at Write the World and Instagram (@hckowal) to document her poetry. In addition to her passion for words, h.c.kowal spends her time playing guitar, writing songs, and studying Creative Writing & Publishing at Sheridan College.