if only everyone knew

if only everyone had their experiences

if only everyone understood

if only, if only.

 

I write until my fingers stiffen,

I fight until my body resists.

I speak up until I'm out of breath,

until my tongue dries and my jaw aches.

 

They don't understand.

They don't see the problem.

They aren't the problem.

But oh yes, they are.

Their unwillingness to listen, their lack of empathy, their refusal to acknowledge.

 

The problems embedded deep in an intricate system

that prevails century after century.

The problem that is not mine, but ours.

The problems that are not only ours, but ours to fix.