you do not understand
you say that this class is open to discussion
yet you fail to notice your students
refusing to open their mouths, say a word,
except for the white kid at the front of the room
claiming to be a person of color because
his grandmother's dad was
from arab - he is the only one
who dares to speak to you because
for an ethnic studies class
it's not really that different
from the outside world, is it? -i have words to say written on my lips
and yet you
shut me down tell me you're lying
even though your lecture
your lesson your rant was about me and my culture
i am jewish i am asian i am queer
and you are lying to me
like you know what you're saying you don't you don'tyou don't notice how incredibly fucked up your classroom is
you don't even know
and you should - that is your job to
tell us about minorities whose
voices have been ignored
and i am here, i am watching, and i am silent( 11.21 )
YOU ARE READING
» 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐭 « 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Poetry❝this city smells of smoke and salt / from the sea, two hours away / and i don't know how it got here❞ • a collection of poetry •