Sisi’s Song

—Jessica Bordelon

Buried deep in the cemetery made of concrete and smog
Her dreams lay under a blood red tombstone that will soon be washed
                                                                                          away by public servants
 
And the casket of her physical form will be carted off in black body bag
to hide from polite society the grim evidence of this most recent victim
of our voluntary blindness
 
Immigrant. Brown. Female. Other.
 
She wanted safety. Wanted freedom. Wanted joy.
Wanted to be no one’s slave,
No one’s shackled bird in a cage
but she was trapped in a prison of disregard, limitations
                          and entrapped by a system that calls itself … humane.
Calls itself… just.
Calls itself… equal.
 
but last time I checked being male with pale skin prevents
                                                           you from feeling the pain she lived.
and the death that was her punishment
for being
… immigrant, brown, female, other.
 
No other reason for the path she was forced onto
Because her sisters, imprisoned on these streets, break sweats
                                                                             to fix your fitted sheets,
pour you another glass of tea, and pretend to not see or hear your
                                                  disdain for the place she is forced to fill
 
Her brothers refused a living wage, but got no right to voice their rage,
        because the public stage would send him to prison inside real bars …
 
Disenfranchised is too pretty of a sounding word for this
 
Abused doesn’t quite capture it
 
Oppressed sounds like gently holding back
 
This is violent aggressive bloody parasitic attacks on the daily
 
but this is supposed to be
 
Sisi’s Song

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©2020 Jessica Bordelon
All rights reserved

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As an Historian, Mother, Language Instructor, Investor, Financial Activist and Creative Artist, Jessica Bordelon’s creative and literal work are always focused on empowerment. She embraces her roots in both the East and the West, Muslim and Christian backgrounds. She believes in building bridges. Her work is always available at this link.

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