Words swirl through the room,
prejudice thrown by strangers.
I wonder if they sense
my anger and incredulity.
Years of practice
allow me to hide in
plain sight.
Shame and disappointment
gather like a cloud bank
in the humid midst of summer.
My words are swallowed,
bitter to me
and lost to the world.
Discounting and demeaning
those we do not know
has lived as long
as history,
narrowing minds
and costing lives.
Categories: Poetry