Lakota

every time you mock my culture it’s not just me losing 2 years of hypothetical lifespan,

we were already genocided a million times, but it’s not enough for you 

expensive conservatories just to make sure our language doesn’t die as our elders do and the rest of us have been mixed with white

and then we fight each other about who’s valid , play tug of war with my colours

we’re not a fashion trend you can copy at rue21  

even in kindergarten i was exploited for being their special snowflake

i got tired and tried to extricate myself entirely from the issue

but the issue wasn’t me

or even my mom so proud of her poc baby

or people looking into my eyes and going ‘what the hell are you!’

it’s more like

the way you beat my grandma in boarding school, you know?