Relative
when the personal is global and the global is personal
how do i walk by someone who is hurting without tasting my tears
when the global is personal and the personal is global
how do i read, “cunt”, “go back home and make babies”, or “all you need is a good fuck” and not break for a woman sitting in her power
trying to be bucked from her chair by men and women who were taught to fear true power
her power
power without harm
power without rape
power that gives birth to things
power that isn’t subtractive
how do I not break for myself
when the personal is the global and the global is personal
how do i fight the desire to hold the parent who calls their son a “pussy”, and tells them to, “man up”, when this child feels something
when his child feels anything
when the global is personal and the personal is global
how do i turn my back on the parent that tells their daughters to accept dehumanization as a means of protection
when the personal is global and the global is personal
where do I divert my eyes after seeing my country’s future through Russia’s gaze
when the personal is global and the global is personal
how do I not choke on my innocence and think of the magic in my parents eyes as I throw up; 21 dead in Texas
when the global is personal and the personal is global
how do i not ache from fear made palpable by families who have not lost their children at the hands of a scholarly gun but watch the screen with pleading eyes for their day to never come
when the personal is global and the global is personal
how do I not skip a beat; 10 dead in Buffalo
50 rounds shot while buying tonight’s dinner
When the global is personal and the personal is global
i recognize the heartbeat of headlines in my body
when the personal is global and the global is personal
the headlines we read were incubated in the commercials, policies, pocketbooks, culture, families, and company of our past and present
the global is personal and the personal is global is as to
fear is to hate as hate is to fear
when the personal is global and the global is personal
what is out there exists in all of us
it’s just a different shade of shit depending on your politics