Free-Verse Confession for Self-Hate
When I called feminists man-haters,
As was popular in the early 2000s,
The days immediately after 9/11,
When men had to be Men, and anyone,
Who didn’t want to kill the terrorists,
Arabs, in terms both racial and insulting,
Was liberal, woman, gay,
Or all three,
It was because I am a feminist,
And because I hated myself,
And I didn’t want anyone to think,
That I hated myself,
The man reflected,
And I didn’t want anyone to think,
That I wanted to be,
The woman yet buried,
Woman, not man,
Favoring justice,
Over unjust imprisonment,
Over senseless torture,
Over retributive murder,
Over violent racism,
Liberal, woman, gay,
Or all three.
KLB
September 22, 2008
As was popular in the early 2000s,
The days immediately after 9/11,
When men had to be Men, and anyone,
Who didn’t want to kill the terrorists,
Arabs, in terms both racial and insulting,
Was liberal, woman, gay,
Or all three,
It was because I am a feminist,
And because I hated myself,
And I didn’t want anyone to think,
That I hated myself,
The man reflected,
And I didn’t want anyone to think,
That I wanted to be,
The woman yet buried,
Woman, not man,
Favoring justice,
Over unjust imprisonment,
Over senseless torture,
Over retributive murder,
Over violent racism,
Liberal, woman, gay,
Or all three.
KLB
September 22, 2008