Imbalance and Inequality or What Happens When You Tell a Poet to "Go Write a Poem"

The only way to find out what that title means is to read the poem. Go on now, read it.

Imbalance and Inequality or What Happens When You Tell a Poet to "Go Write a Poem"

"Go write a poem" they tell me.

As if this is some great insult.

As if poets are some sort of second class,

Only here to write about or speak on pretty, delicate things.

But shit,

Life isn't always pretty.

Though it is always delicate.

So, if we're to take Thoreau's advice to "live deep and suck out all the marrow of life," 

We're going to find that life isn't always easy.

That wine can sometimes give us horrible headaches,

And reminders of what that sad, sad song said about roses.

"Go write a poem" they say.

Oh, I will.

It'll be a poem about how I won't be silenced when I speak out against racism,

A poem that clearly says that even though it's true that all lives matter,

It needs to be said that black lives matter too.

Because as inclusive as the word "all" is supposed to mean,

It has became empty rhetoric, at best,

At worst, used only to dismiss and demean the issues others face every day.

I'll write that poem.

I'll write a poem.

A poem that loudly says that men don't have the monopoly on intelligence,

That mansplaining,

Or attacking a woman's gender,

Doesn't put a guy in first place.

It actually exposes a fear of intelligent women. 

We can't just criticize ideas can we?

Yeah, I'll write a poem.

A poem about how "gay isn't synonymous with "stupid."

Or that equating anyone who's gay as the lesser only brings the aggressor lower.

Not the target.

We don't choose who we love,

But we do choose how we treat each other.

"Go write a poem."

The last cry of someone so insecure,

So fragile,

So helpless,

So out of words.

"Go write a poem."

What exactly do you do?

Are you more qualified somehow?

Go write a poem?

Well, I did.

I wrote a poem.

What are you going to do?