I first read ‘I write what I like’
In a politics class
That was, well, political.
I felt something like uncertainty
At wanting to relate to something
That didn’t need or want me to
And unsure
Of saying what I truly felt
For fear of ridicule.
I read it again more recently
Replacing ‘white’ with ‘men’
‘Black’ with ‘woman’
and found myself nodding
vigorously.
I now want to write what I like
I hope they feel uncertain.
Jen Thorpe is a feminist writer and researcher based in Cape Town. She writes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.