Petty Theft
Lol. So I’ve been trying to finish this poem for a while now, and I can’t even begin to tell you how many different endings this one has seen. But I feel good about where this one stands right now. And this poem actually makes me chuckle a little when I think about the ending only because literally a few days ago a man tried to stop me on the street to get my number, and I said no, and he immediately called me a bitch afterwards. I’ve actually been reading a book that’s been talking about the complexity of human beings in engaging in self-defeating behaviors, and this was like the most prime example. I’ll never understand how people think verbally abusing me after rejection is gonna make me feel any less bad about my choice to say no. But at least the interaction really gave me a lot of fresh emotions to get the poem finally done. So here is what I wish I could say to the men that harass me on the street.
Oooo!
You keep talking at me like
I’m some sorta
shoplifter
thief
criminal
when last time I checked
claiming that I
stole ya heart cuz
YOU
couldn’t keep ya eyes to yourself
As I walked down the street
was considered
petty theft;
a minor offence
especially since
you stay throwin ya heart away
to women who ain’t tryna catch it!
So now
you got all this
petty attitude
out here on the corner
yelling bout how
I’m rude and unkind
for not bothering to give you
any of my time
for a compliment
so cheap
and played out
even the dollar store won’t sell it!
And man,
I gotta tell ya
I’m really fucking fed up
with this crazy
deluded
notion
in our society
that
I’m supposed to stop
from getting where
I need to be
cuz
YOU
currently feel the need
to shower me
in unwanted devotion.
Yeah…
Fuck that!
Cuz if there is anyone
who should be calling the cops
to report a theft
it’s me
cuz you keep tryna
steal from my time
loot from my energy
pickpocket from my well-being
with all ya cursing
and ya carrying on.
So
I’m gonna say this once, man
FUCK YOUR FEELINGS
I
did not walk outta the house today
to be your
sexual healing
and apparently
since I have you feeling
hotter than an oven right now
why don’t you do us both a favor
and just spontaneously combust
into a giant ball of flames
cuz I’ll tell ya right now
the likelihood of that happening
is way higher
than me ever giving you my name
especially after you just called me a bitch?
Let’s not even play this game!
You know...
My grandma always said
don’t ever give away what you can’t afford to lose
so if your ego seems to get this easily bruised
for me choosing to go about my day
and not wanting to pay your
unwanted attention
any of my time or energy
maybe it might be time for you to consider
therapy?
I don’t know --
that’s for you to decide.
But for right now I only got two words for you
Boy bye.
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