Excluded: Biased Toward Bias

Preamble: As many of you probably know, I've been working on trying to get published and entering various competitions outside Vocal for sometime now. This next piece, is my 10th overall rejection, that includes competitions and submission calls with literary publications. I've been encouraged, inspired and spurred along to try by the two Stephens. Stephen A Roddewig and Stephen Kramer Avitabile.

This poem was for a submission call through Winning Writers In April 2025, that requested poems that made creative use of the words that the Trump administration has banned from government websites and research papers. There was no prize money, just the chance to be published in digital anthology entitled Live and Let DEI Anthology Rules.

Excluded: Biased Toward Bias

Do you advocate on behalf of community diversity?

Are you biased for diverse backgrounds and groups?

Have you been seen fostering inclusivity with aplomb?

Outraged that historically females were excluded?

Well, now excluded and females are both excluded

-

If you're looking to enhance the diversity — don't

The concept and act of enhancing the diversity,

Promoting diversity, offering a sense of belonging,

and being culturally responsive — are all excluded

-

There are no biases toward Black and Latinx, females,

BIPOC and your cultural heritage, cultural differences —

don't matter anymore. There are no biases towards

discrimination; your ethnicity is outdated — and excluded

-

Marginalized minorities, political prejudice — excluded

Polarization and political privileges — also excluded

Status doesn't matter. Neither does racial justice.

Systemic racism and sociocultural stereotypes — excluded

-

So while the government can't be seen to defend the rights

of its people, it also can't be seen to defend itself.

Full circle, becoming biased toward biases —

even this form of activism — as activism is also excluded.

*

Thanks for reading!

Although I'm disappointed my poem didn't get picked, even for a free publication and certain bragging rights, I'm still proud of my efforts. And 10th rejection feels like a milestone that had to be reached.

I still have a number of pieces in submission calls and competitions which I still need to find out about.

It's not going to stop me from keeping on. I shall continue to put forward pieces to Vocal generally and for challenges (official and unofficial) and will also continue to work on getting published or winning something outside of Vocal too.

Here are other things: