SO POWERFUL

Any one of us
can begin
where there is no beginning.
where there is no floor
no door to keep things
from breaking in
can begin waiting for
a beginning
that isn’t made of wishing
you weren’t born at all
when you were born
into nothing
into tired
into hungry
into rage.

Any one of us
can have the sheets flown back
and mad whiskey breath take our breath
big grabbing ruthless
hands take our flesh, take our
private
Any one of us
can be that forgotten
discarded
determined other

Can be held back
held under
held down
can end up here.

You say it isn’t
that simple
but I tell you it is

Nothing is fixed
well, it’s definitely
rigged,
you pull the wrong color
name, accent, mama,

You wake up on his lap
on his hard
his hand up your
his hands around your neck
your fate
you wake up
your body
already public property
already invaded
degraded
not yours
already commerce
already sold
bought
and returned

Any one of us
can get that pissed off
that one time
too many
that instant
that desperate
that pushed against the wall
that humiliated
that disgusted
that hopeless

blind

Can take a gun,
grab the knife, the brick

You say there are bad and good people
I say there are outcomes,
Situations, predicaments,

You say we are all responsible for our actions
I say for each other

You say criminal
I say neglect

You say an eye for an eye
I say I long to see

You say that whore
That junkie
That killer
That convict
I say any one of us.

You say lock them up
I say, when were they free?

Eve Ensdel-poet