I have not written anything for a long time and I am submitting this poem for critique. It may be worth noting that this poem deals with strong subject matter and is not meant for the faint hearted.
I am the wolf shadow-stalking my prey through the birch trees, and
I feel the bullet that slices through the silence piercing my heart
With a crack of human vengeance that echoes in the night.
I am the grizzly who walks on two legs, with a taste for human flesh to feed my starving cubs and it is my cry of pain and outrage you will hear before the gunshot that leaves me dead upon the forest floor
I am the old woman who sits alone gazing out the window with nothing to fill the distant hours but memories, silence, never ending sadness, and tears for the children who don’t come to visit anymore.
I am the young woman who walks with my head hanging low because it is all my fault, and sunglasses hide my blackened eyes and makeup that conceals the bruises on my cheeks in hopes that no one will see.
I am the veteran who fought bravely in the war but now I sit beside a dumpster, a needle still hanging from my arm, my sightless eyes fill with rain, the battle for me is finally over and nobody won.
I am all of this and so much more
I am empathy
I am knowledge
I am awareness
I am responsibility
