Casual Hatred Flung This Way
A poem I wrote well over a year ago to vent about then current events, still feels relevant especially with certain patterns and things I see pop up now and then. At the time I was too angry and tired to type out a more elaborate description and honestly not that much has changed so I'll leave it at this. Originally posted in August 2021.
Casual Hatred Flung This Way
By: A.X. Bueno
It feels like practically everyday there's someone revealed to be several shades of terrible
Or yet another company revealed to have swept under the rug so much abuse and harm
They throw the hurt and terribleness at those they see as most vulnerable to try and make their lives unbearable
Yet when all this awfulness and harm is acknowledged and called out
It's us by whom they are alarmed
We're treated like the issue for addressing the problems and acknowledging what brings them about
The racism, the hate, the transphobia, the abuse of women, the homophobia, etc. leaving so many harmed
Some get to treat it as "drama" that they can ignore or make excuses for until it "goes away"
But for p.o.c, we have to just deal with it while you can pretend it all doesn't exist most days
Of course sometimes someone too big to not take notice of let's the whole mask slip off
In a way that can't just be dismissed or ignored
Of course there's a frustrating few who will defend and make excuses for those formerly adored
By those who'll dismiss and be apathetic about the blatant contempt and hatred just unveiled
For talking about how we're still facing problems that they thought were gone or in the past we become abhorred
Those who make the excuses and defenses like to pretend like this is the first time
Or that this is just one or a few bad apples and there wasn't any warning signs
The thing is sometimes there are or even after the whole story is shown there's still doubt and disbelief
It shouldn't take the fallout of a nuclear implosion for the mines to be noticed all over the floor
We shouldn't have to fight so hard to try to show -phobes, racists and harassers the door
Because they hate and openly admit to doing so should be enough
There shouldn't be some threshold of suffering and malicious intent from the terrible for people to just tough
Being told to tough it out or having it downplayed shouldn't be anyone's response
Not to all the hate, abuse and hard times flung some people's expected to be shrug off with nonchalance
Just hold people accountable and put an extra bit of thought into what you think or say
I'm tired of seeing all the contempt and hate thrown this and that way