Sorry, I guess? I cut you,
but not to worry, I’m sure you’ll heal.
It’s the way you eat people,
wholesale inhale your little meal;
every speck and smidgen consumed.
And then you sauntered in,
saw me as something tasty,
and choked on my thorny skin.
What did you expect today?
A tithe to meet your ego’s quotient?
A willing lamb for your altar?
Are your usual victims more compliant?
In cutting the mouth that bites,
I’ve become somewhat proficient.
You’ll forgive me or die upset, I guess.
I don’t exist for your entitlement.
Charl Landsberg (they/them) is a transgender South African poet who’s work often focusses on trans issues, feminism, social justice, and occasionally also in a few other areas of writing. They are also an accomplished musician, author, academic, and painter.