Looming Weapon Of Destruction

I am not afraid because you say I do not exist 
I will not question my own faith 
or hide in the shadows 
of your looming weapon of destruction
...on the contrary
- If to you, I do not exist, you can never destroy me 

If I am the water slipping through your fingers 
you can never drink me, drown me;
or use me to wash away the stain of your choices
If I am the sand beneath your feet 
you can never use me or my labors
to build your castles in the sky 
Because when the tide rises 
I will wash away into the glorious sea
I will be of no use to you - only to me
If I am the flip side of your bigotry, 
the brunt of your misogyny or racism;
prisoner chained by your legislated laws 
If my protected rights 
are restricted by your ignorance,
by the stroke of your pen -
None of this will impact me

You see,

I am not afraid because you say I do not exist 
I will not question my own faith 
or hide in the shadows 
of your looming weapon of destruction
...on the contrary
- if to you, I do not exist you can never destroy me. 

If I am indeed the flip side of what you are 
than nothing about you can touch me 
Because I am invisible in your world, 
I do not exist and my power is in - that I am 
- and your ignorance keeps you oblivious
My power is that you can not destroy 
what you do not believe in or acknowledge 
You stand on a podium to impose your stance, your presence 
You and the like, use fraud as a "prop" to legitimize ego
I stand on my own 
I stand with my feet planted 
in Mother Earth
My head high, eyes to the sky - rain or shine 
There is no one that will ever hold me higher 
than I hold myself

You see,

I am not afraid because you say I do not exist 
I will not question my own faith 
or hide in the shadows 
of your looming weapon of destruction
...on the contrary
- if to you, I do not exist you can never destroy me.

© 2016 TrilbyYates 

One Word

Just one word, one word - sharp and cutting.
Gut reaction.
Automatic visceral response.
Anger, fear, shame, confusion, bewilderment.
One word, domino effect, emotional draining flash back
...punch in the stomach, what the fuck not quite an epiphany
slow realization, an unwinding.
Slow with meaning.
A learning; knowledge filled shaping, the future bend.
Young girl unknown meaning, one word
A pattern - "…you wait outside…"
Sunny Saturday, waiting outside.
"…you can't come in, but we can play together, my father says you're a wop..."
"My father says you're like a nigger, like a monkey, we don't let animals in our house; except the cat and dog, but we can play together…"
Fifteen years later, I helped her elope.
She climbed out of her bedroom window, 
I waited down the street in my VW Bus.
We drove to the town hall and she married a man of color.

Just one word, one more word - sharp and cutting.
Gut reaction.
Automatic visceral response.
Anger, fear, shame, confusion, bewilderment.
One word, domino effect, emotional draining flash back
...punch in the stomach, what the fuck not quite an epiphany
slow realization, an unwinding.
Slow with meaning.
A learning; a knowledge filled shaping, a future bend.
Young girl unknown meaning, one word,
"…I like you, but my brother said I can't because you're a dago…"
A pattern - "…we can still like each other but no one can know…"
We walked past each other in the halls, middle school, high school.
Our eyes would meet, we would smile, but we both knew what we didn't know.
Ten years later, you became my lover.
We spent the summer together, we didn't talk about the past but it was there.
We both understood, we knew and we cried together.
I said goodbye to you in September,
and watched your motorcycle fade off into the sunset.

Just one word, one word - sharp and cutting.
Gut reaction.
Automatic visceral response.
Anger, fear, shame, confusion, bewilderment.
One word, domino effect, emotional draining flash back
...punch in the stomach, what the fuck not quite an epiphany
slow realization, an unwinding.
Slow with meaning.
A learning; knowledge filled shaping, the future bend.
Young girl unknown meaning, one word.
It only takes one word…

© 2016 TrilbyYates