You don’t understand br poetry or poets, br youth or age…, br walks in the rain, br the scent of lilacs br in the springtime, br sparklers and fireflies br or the gauntlet of br ignorance an elderly br faceless black woman br endured throughout br every season of br her life br br You don’t know the stress br of being hungry, poor, br abandoned … br And never br could you feel br the choice a woman br must make after br being raped br or told the fetus br will be severely br disabled at birth br br How could br you possibly br unclench the br the naïve fists, if br you could never br relate to cowering eyes br or suppressed tears br caused by heinous br abuses too disturbing br to imagine br br Words are weak, br poems useless. br br Your cowardly conscience br will forever be void of br guilt, shame or knowledge, br if you never peel br away the thick scab br of intentional gullibility br br You don’t understand, br because you choose not to. br br And we all suffer alone.