Oh, My Light…

By Ashleigh Hatter

It must hurt to know/
your little light/
means much less than this:

This flash
This pop
This powder grey and polished black
This manhood held
This paranoia massaged—caressed, encouraged, prompted to grow

Yes, it must hurt to know/
your little light/
means much less than that:

That simmered anger
That “what if” entertained, given the stage, videos made and laughed at and passed around and
That “Hell yeah” when flaunted at shows
That “Hell no!” when threats of repo; threats that would give a light a chance to grow

Yes, it must hurt to know/
your little light—snuffed/
means much less than the hateful metal in the hands of many

Oh, my light…
Oh, my light…