[dust devil noun (1888): a small whirlwind containing sand or dust]
Sometimes
I think people want me
to disappear
to be ground into fine powder
a n d b l o w n a w a y . . .
They don't say it
directly.
No, they say it
much
more
subtly.
They say it in phrases like
"no need to get so worked up"
and
"if you can't say something
nice
don't
say anything
at all"
and
"your passion is admirable--
but misplaced"
and
"keep your mouth shut and you'll stay out of trouble."
I
say it
to myself
in phrases like
"don't overreact"
and
"better not cause trouble"
and
"Lord help me not to get angry"
and
"if you get emotional, they won't
hear you."
As if
to be good
means
to be smaller somehow.
Quieter,
and less disruptive.
As if to be
correct
means to be
dispassionate...
NO MORE.
Sometimes
it is right to get angry.
Emotion is warranted
more often than we think.
Sometimes
you have to SCREAM
to get their attention.
Sometimes
I have thoughts worth saying.
LOUDLY.
Sometimes
they're the ones who
need to be
blown away.
Nicole Jackson-Ozment 2017
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