Not the Way Some See It
dedicated to the essential workers who didn’t ask to be front-liners without the care they need.
how do essential mental health workers make space in our privilege for those who need the physical connection? These are curiosities, doubts, feelings, spaces I am battling through.
(majority vs. the other)
Dear woman
who the pained trusted
who said “can you say more?”
where are you?
hardest part of life
wander
wonder
curious
Dear Silence
of humanity
souls who’ve died alone
On earth
earth silent bodies
protect only themselves
while other bodies
You say Jesus
Knock knock
On doors of hearts
The neighbors
Listener woman
Can you perceive it?
Your own resurrection at the pain of others
Dear lost woman
She says
I am here, dear one.
unnamed standing on my head
Drowning me
Pushing me down beneath dark waters
Simple, silly girl
Rebuttal to the therapist
If this doesn’t teach you that
Pandemic
Humanity is connected.
you’ve learned nothing
standing on my head
the husband who works or not
children who study or not
unemployed who have no pay
still
Reply of dear woman therapist
Breathe and maybe
Did you know majority therapist? I say
life is bought by grocery workers
Yet you isolate yourself
At expense of pain, real stabs and reeling minds
others who aren’t like majority illness conditions
of recognition
dear woman still says
You can loosen your grip
Chorus respond:
What about
affliction
not cancer
lack of sight
Says majority woman
It’s not Jesus
But here.
And see that I am here
my distance
Well, dear woman says the chorus
people die for you
they don’t know you
no requirement to give nothing back
their lives worthless
pain unseen
I was struck by the rumor that this is
something that doesn’t affect
who’s gonna believe that
this is the thing
this is serious
essential therapist woman-isolated-choice
I am here.
CHORUS
The responsibilities of some people’s lives
Masks
Stores
Workers
Where are they to be
To protected bodies
You can come
Again, woman says
But have limitations
Livid now, chorus tells her truth facts
I already know
people of color
but you won’t
one body-mind is all you care about
standing on field workers
strawberry pickers
majority therapist woman
I need you to respect my “no.”