Written By: Jordannah Elizabeth

“Willing Scapegoats for the Male Ego”

I’m so sick and tired I don’t want to read

Baldwin.

I’m so sick and tired I don’t want to read

James Baldwin.

Wake up. Wake up.

To be at this point,

surrounded by systems, white women

sexual threat, secret white guilt.

Buried tears too prideful to say,

“I’m racist. I was wrong.”

Misogynoir.

Everyone so damn hell bent on treating me

like a child.

Telling me lies, stringing me along, putting me down for

their gain.

I’m so sick and tired I couldn’t finish one Maya Angelou poem.

To be at this point.

My wedding ring types to protect me from rape.

Blood diamonds probably, I’m sorry.

I replaced them with a silver and gold plated mixed band from an Indian

jewelry shop in San Francisco.

It was half off. I paid $20 for it.

A toe ring that fit my size 5 finger perfectly.

Nothing flashy, just to keep danger away from me.

To be at this point.

A published author traveling and breaking my back for an 850

word story.

Never worthy of the cover story.

I am not this woman.

I am so sick and tired I don’t want to read James

Baldwin.

I’m so sick and tired, I couldn’t finish Maya Angelou.

To be at this point.