I have been taught
to be proud of myself
“Do not keep the knot
Let the silk unroll itself
Stay true and stay strong
Stray not in the hellish crowd
Stay up in the strained air
Stain not your attire with smut
Whatever they spray and throw
Just hang on to what you’ve sown.”
…
They lecture me long,
and they lecture me good.
But someone whispers in my ear
“Here’s a lil’ somethin’ ya needa hear.
An unspoken secret that everyone knows
not spoken of for it speaks on its own.
The hanging of your silk,
refusal of cocooning,
rejection of coloring,
repulsion of letting go,
makes you an easy target
for the rough ropes we market.
And soon you, who is so true to you
will be hanged for reeking such innocent construe.”