“On Being Uncivil”
1.
Sometimes, you must raise your voice.
It is the only way to be heard
when they will not listen to you otherwise.
2.
Sometimes, you have to tell the truth.
It is the only way to be true to yourself
when they are all telling you
“you must lie if you want to succeed.”
3.
Sometimes, you have to be angry.
It is the only way to release the seeds of justice
when they want to normalize
injustice as justice.
4.
Sometimes, you have to be betrayed.
For this is the only way you will know your allies
as those that will betray you
will have their face painted by guilt
all over.
5.
Sometimes you must file a complaint.
This is the only way you will make a record
of your abuses and abusers,
their clandestine investigations
for the world to see.
6.
And sometimes, you must leave and leave behind
those that made you sick. Very sick.
It is only the healthy, the brave,
the ones with dignity and self love,
the ones that will not want to be erased
from the history of being silenced
can set themselves free.
From Their grips
That You Disallow/ed.
