i won’t apologize.

they can laugh,

make fun.

say that I have

no idea

what I’m talking about.

tell me

that I’m overreacting

to something that

never happened to me

personally.

but i will never apologize for

being affected by

the abuse,

the neglect,

the discrimination,

the hurt

that has drowned women

in the past.

those brave women committed actions that condemned them

to death

so that my head can stay above the water.

and that can not be forgotten.

i will use this voice of mine

to speak out

for all the women

who were pushed under the water

before they could even

utter

a

word.