M. Hank

I gripped his shoulders as the motorbike sputtered to life, coughing smoke into the humid air. He drove along a dirt path, passing flooded paddy fields and slender palm trees.

We must change or She shall die,

Our selfishness causes Her to cry.

Whispering wind in my ear,

Her desperate cry for me to hear. 

she takes the stairs, 

her heels click clacking down the hardwood steps. 

she turns the tarnished silver doorknob, 

and the door creaks open. 

before her sits a man. 

If every girl

Looked liked a boy

Acted like a boy

Was a boy

Would we get farther

In life

Would we be respected

If every woman

Was a man

Would we be valued

Would we be able

Dear leaders,

You say you love us

The children of your country

But you do what is best

For you

Even though

We are the future

Of our country

We are your legacy

How can you expect us

I am the bird that everyone knows.

Never sees, only feels my presence.

Visible in your mind, noticeable in your heart.

My wingtips are dashed with anxiety,

my tail feathers streaked with frustration and loss.