A ride home from work
Sitting in a damp seat
Peanut butter breath
Colorful-haired kids climbed in and then they left
The blue lady sitting next to me is playing games on her phone
And you called me to remind me that I am not alone
My ears are filled with lullabies
Are you even surprised?
Her ears are filled with heavy metal
But can still feel me tremble
My nails are sharp and unkempt
And my eyes are painted black
My hair is long and swept
To the side
It glows in the light
Like Rapunzel’s when she’s healing her mother
Mother, should I call her?
What would I tell her?
I could tell her about my day
Or how I’m scared my car might get towed away
I could give her my love
Even though she doesn’t know about mine
My purse is flat and brown
It contains loose items
Zipped up tight for safekeeping
Does that make me a safe-keeper?
Do I protect what’s inside?
There’s a man across the way
His face tattoos are staring at me
I don’t know what he wants to say
But I need to stop looking his way
The male race is scary
They have been told from the beginning they are superior
What women do is still inferior
I let my guard down
Forget to be scared of them
Gave the hungry man a dollar
Is that giving him power?
Will I ever know what it’s like to be her?
Will I understand what he feels when he’s staring at me across the train?
Knowledge doesn’t come without being uncomfortable
Learning doesn’t come from being unreachable
Train tracks don’t just appear, they are constructed
Knowledge isn’t preconceived, it is acquired
Oh good, I’m at my stop
My car is still here
And so are my fears
2020
New year, new me … or so they say
The girls on Instagram are in my way
Blocking me from really knowing
If this new year is actually going,
Going to help me achieve my dreams
Going to give me what I need to succeed
But what will I give you, 2020?
It’s my responsibility to see what you’ll give me
I have to work hard, to plan my attack
And if I don’t, then I will never get 2020 back
For Her lifespan is just 12 months
A short time to get it right
I could give you my soul
Decide to come out to the world
Give up the secrets that I keep
Oh, 2020, would you keep them safe?
Come out as ME!
Come out with an identity
To give up my current attire
And really become who I desire
But it’s not about the clothes I wear
It’s not about the color of my hair
It’s about the knowledge I steal with care
To care about what I learn
The lady with the bow in her hair
Will teach me about issues I cannot bear
Will I listen and forget,
Or chose to reflect and react?
Will 2020 give me a new perspective,
Or will She confuse me and fill me with regret?
WHO KNOWS!!!
Not I, not She, for She is just a collection of days
And even with Instagram’s praise
2020 cannot fulfill your wishes
Without your help, doing the dishes.