Respectable Me - Em Allison Poem by Chrysanthemum Tran

Tell my mother that I saw them
All of them
I saw all of these women screaming at the top of their lungs
I saw eyes, bloodshot.
I saw water raining down on us
What if Mr. Do Right wants to come into my space?
Im an inconvenience
A body meant to march
Mens burdens should not be pressed down on daughters backs
Tell my father I wasn't in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I was minding my business.
Tell the man at the gas station that I smiled at the police officer.
That didn't help either
I need you to tell my mother,
I didn't go down without a fight.
Tell her my right index finger broke into his skin.
The cops DNA are under my nail
Tell her I wasn't wearing anything provocative
I was driving home from work.
I can still taste the metal in my mouth.
All of these women were asking me to dance in the sky with them
To move storm clouds
To mourn with them
To beat our chest and sing A lightning cloud
and let our voices crack against hot air.
For little girls.