by Erin Achauer
There is no monster in the closet Coming for your children
It is just them As they truly are
It is you
You are maiming their spirits
And building a monstrous world that kills them
-
I have all but forgotten what peace is Now, it seems,
That all I feel is anger
I don’t know what upsets me more The violence
Or the idle on-lookers
Being the target in the center of the crowd They all look the same to me
-
I have spent a lifetime hearing
About what a women should and should not be About the tragedy that comes with the territory I have
decided that I want none of it
My womanhood is my own And I will not let it be soiled
It will be overflowing with joy, confidence, and love
I refuse to stay down in the muck
To live in restriction, darkness, or fear
In this age, joy and peace are radical choices