By Akossa Mary Mphepo

Sit down at your table,
In my favorite purple dress,

Hair tied back to smooth the frizz,

Face made up to hide the scars,

Sunglasses in the winter-noon –darkness,

Closing me away from the hostile,

Judgment of you

Looks and stares, curious,

Finger points and glares,

Asking me questions I cannot;

Answer, I refuse answer,

I will not answer.

Your angry intonation,

... A heavy drone of bumble bees,

Making my head hurt,

Making my mind swirl,

Baby, please stop it!

I reach for my headphones,

Turn up the volume,

Shut you out of my world,

Shut me up in my,

Safe warm cocoon,

Where I cannot see you, hear you,

Cannot touch you, feel you,

Or love you.

Fingers tapping the old keyboard

In a steady comforting rhythm,

Sitting in my purple silk dress,

Typing my world away

Trying to make something beautiful.

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