Tessa Renken
How dare I?
How dare I feel the need
To be loved by the world:
Lessened in my attraction
For subsequent meaning?
How dare I exist
With such the same distress
Towards both matters
Of my perception?
Am I to judge myself
Along with the world,
Determine my worth
From the quality of
The visage I have made
To hide myself from
Their scorn?
Or rather,
From their indifference?
Would I value someone
Alone on the hope
They see in me
Some quality which deigns respect?
Should respect not be the right
Of all people?
Should not an acknowledgement
That we take up space on this planet?
How dare You.
For making us feel these things,
You for the forced laughs
You for the self-sacrificing level of our kindness
You for the thoughts we are worth less
You for the belief we must be impressive
You for the fear of being alone
You for the shame over our own bodies
You for the need to dream of when things are different.
I finally blame
You
For making me feel like I am worthy of criticism
for falling into the traps
You
have built
For us.
How dare
You.