Gali

I’m standing there, minding my own,
 Unarmed, no threat, just skin and bone.
 But he sees me, and I’m already guilty,
 Not for what I’ve done, but for how I look, for where I’ve been, for the color of my skin.

If only it was because  

you were fifteen  

and I was thirteen  

but it wasn’t.  

Not really.  

If only i had smiled differently,
worn a different skirt, a longer one,
if i had stayed quiet, let him win,
shrunk smaller, been easier to touch,
been harder to hurt, laughed when i wanted to cry,
cried when i wanted to scream.

Technically, I’m an immigrant;  

I wasn't born here. 

Technically, I’m too young, 

just shy of a year. 

Technically, I’m inexperienced, 

barely know the rudiments. 

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Every day 

I feel like I am constantly being watched.

Judged

And looked down upon.

I know that this might not be true 

But I feel the same regardless.

Because that is human nature.