THEY SAY

emotion
one word 
seven letters 
means a number of things
I like to think it means feelings
joy and love and
pain 
to name just a few 
but some people try to tell me 
that it means weakness
they say I'm loud 
and crazy,
and foolish and silly and shallow and delicate 
they say I'm hysterical 
which
by the way
means I am letting my womb control me
and my emotion
emotion
emotion 
emotion

they say I should hide my emotion 
because no one else is supposed 
to know that I am human 
because that would be indecent 
and wrong 
they say I should pack myself up in a box
sealed too tight 
and ship myself off 
to wherever they say I should go 
they say 
they say 
they say 
they say 

people say a lot of things 
about me 
about you 
about them 
and them 
about us all

I stopped listening 

you should too