Helens
I really, really don't want
unicorn frappacinos, tiny dogs, large sunglasses, caramel highlights,
and being blatantly, even gleefully, out of touch with politics to be the sum and whole of white girl culture
As if it's a badge of honor
The faces that launched a thousand memes, with no true concept of our own contributions to the political war raging around us
When I say "political" my inner debutante just shudders and swoons and threatens to have a case of the vapors if I don't change the subject right this instant
but when I say politics, I mean life
I mean
Water
Land
Food Deserts
Global Warming
Trans-Rights
Equal Pay for Equal Work
Statutory Limits on Rape
When I say I want to talk politics with you, I'm really saying
Can we talk about reality, Helen?
Can we talk about emotional labor?
About the fact that I was sexually harassed on my way here?
The Israeli/Palestinian conflict and US funding?
Can we talk about your preferred pronoun?
Euro-centric beauty standards?
Pre-existing conditions?
Your sister's sexual assault?
The avocado problem?
As uncomfortable as this makes you,
(and, no, it's not confusing)
can we talk about how Black lives actually fucking matter?
Can we talk about building walls, Helen?
'Cause I got your wall right here, sister
It's called my skin, my back, my bones
It's a pale wall and smells vaguely of Pumpkin Spice Lattes,
but I'm not letting you past me until we discuss this
'Cause we cannot separate politics from living
as much as we may want to
unicorn frappacinos, tiny dogs, large sunglasses, caramel highlights,
and being blatantly, even gleefully, out of touch with politics to be the sum and whole of white girl culture
As if it's a badge of honor
The faces that launched a thousand memes, with no true concept of our own contributions to the political war raging around us
When I say "political" my inner debutante just shudders and swoons and threatens to have a case of the vapors if I don't change the subject right this instant
but when I say politics, I mean life
I mean
Water
Land
Food Deserts
Global Warming
Trans-Rights
Equal Pay for Equal Work
Statutory Limits on Rape
When I say I want to talk politics with you, I'm really saying
Can we talk about reality, Helen?
Can we talk about emotional labor?
About the fact that I was sexually harassed on my way here?
The Israeli/Palestinian conflict and US funding?
Can we talk about your preferred pronoun?
Euro-centric beauty standards?
Pre-existing conditions?
Your sister's sexual assault?
The avocado problem?
As uncomfortable as this makes you,
(and, no, it's not confusing)
can we talk about how Black lives actually fucking matter?
Can we talk about building walls, Helen?
'Cause I got your wall right here, sister
It's called my skin, my back, my bones
It's a pale wall and smells vaguely of Pumpkin Spice Lattes,
but I'm not letting you past me until we discuss this
'Cause we cannot separate politics from living
as much as we may want to
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