Speechless

I am speechless.

My thoughts don't make sense

and my voice struggles to come out and make a sound.

I am wordless

and I write but my cold fingers have forgotten the keys 

or how to hold a pen

Our mouths hang open like dead-eyed fish caught

not in surprise or disbelief

gasping

for something to say

parroting the parodies that are constantly pumped

to make us feel numb

but we feel

we are losing the right to speak

to choose

to live

to love

but we feel

we are not objects

we are not numbers

our deaths and deportations are not cleansing

our expressions are not damaging

our education and learning is not unnecessary

and our joy is not speechless.

So silence must not fall

when questions are asked

and answers demanded

and my cold fingers will keep finding the keys

writing to reach people through language that is slowly being lost and stripped away

my voice will not be stripped away before it has even been used

be this a warning or a promise

as long as I am alive,

I will not be fucking quiet.