And they dismiss her for dancing:
Guile conflated with competence,
The genuine smile, easy freedom
Seen as lack of both
And meanwhile he says the reboot
Will have no joy
And if you don’t see the two
As connected, how fragmented the world;
And all I can think is
How terribly wonderful to live
In an age where even my happiness
Is an act of resistance.
Whenever I feel the need
To ask permission for joy,
As if I am unworthy,
I remember that somewhere
There will be some white men
Angered, and that is all
I need to do it anyway.
Royal Rose 