Subtle Sister

So we've learned karate,

carry knives on our runs

wield words like weapons

prepare glares-like hidden guns,

we've deconstructed, demystified

tried retribution, remythologized,

we've been diagnosed with your diseases,

and still tried pleases, tried tears, tried Jesus.

You wanna see what it's like down here

in this pool of someone else's rules, well

jump in, take a swim or just sit in this pit

squishing bare toes in someone else's bullshit,

we do it all the time.

Still we've tried being patient,

collected, calm, nice

trying praying, tried laying you

paying the price,

we've learned to scream

until our throats throbbed

what else do you do

while your cunt's being robbed.

And they say "you've made progress, girls,

take a rest in-between"

but see while you're resting,

someone else is progressing,

it's what i've seen.

So i take back the whispers,

the cute mute act,

and the high pitched giggles, yeah

i take them back,

i won't avoid your stare, evade your step,

nothing of that kind,

won't help you help me victimize

the only space that's mine.

See now I'd put my life on the line just to see them trip,

frown and say "funny love, i never saw you slip."

i say, "my life on the line-"

you say "man, she's jaded."

i say, "maybe control's overrated."

like when we cackled, they called us witches,

now we don't giggle they call us bitches

well I'm cacklin loud, taking it back, full of hiss,

cacklin loud, cackling proud now.

And they're getting nervous with this kissing each other,

scratching their heads,

whats going on brother

and they yell feed your husband, stop feeding the fire!

and we just cackle,

we're a fuckin witches choir.

and we sing "sharpen your knives, sharpen your daughters

steam up the mirrors, bake us some dreams,

cook up some riots, fry up some screams,

and when you're sick of your skirts

slice open the seams

cause they want domestics,

theyll give us needle and thread

for patching their egos.

we'll sow revolution instead."

And i hear you saying

"subtle, sister,

less bite, more bark

you can make your point without leaving such a mark.

subtle, sister,

stop your seething,

i think we got it, i think we're even:"

subtle like a penis pounding its target?

subtle like your hissing from across the street?

subtle like the binding on my sisters' feet?

subtle like her belly raped with his semen,

draped in his fuck, funny,

doesn't seem even.

See, sometimes anger's subtle, stocked in metaphor

full of finesse and dressed in allure

yes, sometimes anger's subtle, less rage than sad

leaking slow through spigots you didn't know you had.

and sometimes it's just

fuck you.

fuck you.

you see, and to me,

That's poetry too.