Her Barbed Words

there was no silver spoon

in my mouth

nor hands to support me

just me and my own ingenuity

while you were blessed

with the privilege and ease

mine was full of twists and turns

through thorny undergrowth

that cut through my underbelly

where no one else can see

everything was earned

with blood and sweat

my whole being calloused

from self-reliance

all that earning

undeserved spite from you

now, here i am standing

as always lower than where you are

beneath your cold disapproving gaze

the weight of your

condescending words

crushing me

you choose to mock my path

a route less travelled

you and i may walked

on different path

but mine was never illegitimate

never a short cut either

mocking and sneering

barb wire of judgement

all coming from you

as if i had stained

your lofty reputation

as if i’ve stolen

any credits from you

or in your eyes

that i’m always supposed

to fail in everything

even if i managed something

that i must be up to no good

it feels like you are waiting

to pounce on

my every move

making sure

that i would always

stay at the bottom

of everything

especially beneath you

so that you can talk down to me

and spit at my face

©Emika Oka

Thank you for reading 🖤

Previously published on From The Corner of My Mind

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