MMIW poem

I’m scared

I’m scared all the time

I’ve been asked all the time

“Why are you scared? You of all people who fears nothing and no one.”

I wish I could simply just say “I don’t know”

But I can’t

I know why I’m scared

I’m scared because I’m worried I’ll one day

Be walking home

A little later than usual

And finding myself

Missing or murdered I’m scared because the rates of which my people

Specifically the females

Who go missing is 10x more than any other race.

I’m scared because I know if I join those ranks

My case won’t be as important

As the average white person

I’ll be seen as a whore

My family pushed to the side,

My case discarded away like a rag from the trash

I’ll become one of the forgotten ones

No news sights or officers would ever bat an eye

My family would grieve

With no help from around

Wondering and wishing where their missing daughter could be

Or maybe I wouldn’t be missing

And maybe they found me

But then that would leave them to bury my body

Looking down upon my cold battered body

Covered in makeup to conceal all the damage

Laid down upon me

Before I stopped breathing

So that’s why I’m scared

But instead of saying all that

I’ll just shrug my shoulders and force

“I don’t know” out of my mouth and hope for the best