Christmas Break
in my old school
we didn't have
winter break.
we had
christmas break.
time off to roll in
the sweet corruption of
capitalism.
i celebrated christmas,
but i had friends who didn't.
my jewish friend had to go to school
on her holiday.
my muslim friend had to
skip school
to participate in her holiday.
but christians
got their time off.
no matter what branch
of christianity you
are part of
you always get
christmas day off.
because it's not winter break.
it's not designed
to accommodate everyone.
it's just another priviledge
of the majority.
the day my friend was absent
in gym class
i realized just how privileged we are.
even if i'm not a christian,
i celebrate christian holidays,
because here,
we've been taught, however subtly
that christianity is right.
it is embedded in our very culture,
in our very world.
persecution is having to skip school because
your holiday is not
accommodated.
persecution is
listening to someone say
merry christmas
when you don't even
celebrate it.
persecution is
going on christmas break
even when
you don't get
a break of your own.