Workshop with Professor Deborah Hathaway
Dear John,
I tried very hard
To be your friend
I tried to let things go
To give you endless chances
I tried to be supportive
To be understanding
To offer endless grace
To view things from your perspective
To take into consideration your trauma
To imagine your values as my values
To remember you are younger
To take into account my privileges over you- though few
To accept your anger as my fault even when directed toward me
You offer me no such grace
No such compassion
You offer me
Nothing
But hate
Anger
Pain
Grief
In moments where I try to see
All I see in you
That is great
I don’t just see you
As your anger and hate
You are much more
But when I got angry
Which I have only done once to you
Only once confronted you with my anger and pain
You threw it back at me
Back into my face
I didn’t want to talk about rape
I don’t want to talk about it
I state
You say
Oh
So you don’t care
About me learning
You are close minded
You don’t care
You told me
But you John
You did not ever
Acknowledge my pain
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