They told her, "You are no one."
They looked through her.
Saw glass instead of a face,
gender instead of a person.
Nevertheless, she persisted.
They frowned. "Then you are our bird.
We will cage you while you're pretty.
pluck you when you're not."
Nevertheless, she persisted.
They fumed. "Then you are our stool."
They slammed her down,
stood on her with their dirty feet,
kicked her aside when they were done.
Nevertheless, she persisted.
They were confused by her resilience-
by their inability to win-
so they told her, "You can stay,
but you will never be good enough,
will never be one of us."
She smiled
for she didn't want to be.
