My Thanks to Society

You look at me

Like I am unintelligent,

Insufficient to live;

Lower than the lowliest being

That crawls on the earth.

You scorn my ideals,

Abuse my thoughts

Suppress my essence,

Weaken my self image,

And murder my emotions.

You are hostility

Unrelenting hostility,

That follows me like a stalker

Into the darkest chasms of my mind.

I show you love;

You show me hate,

I am worthless to you,

One of a thousand needy children

You equally neglect.

My fleshy toils

Are of no concern to you;

The way people’s voices

Echo in my mind,

Tarring at my soul.

The way I am separated,

From the people I love

By a few insignificant years,

Divided by my gender and race;

Am less than the lowliest slave.

It’s a good thing God

Doesn’t hold me in the same regard,

Or I’d be condemned

Before I had a chance

To prove my worth.

Thank you for my low self esteem,

Depressive thoughts,

Skewed morality,

And wounded heart;

I owe all of this to you.