The ugliness isn’t new.
It just sat in corners,
under wraps —
racism simmering beneath the surface,
homophobia,
transphobia,
xenophobia…
people aching to other their neighbors,
to write fear and discomfort into law.
History we thought was behind us
is hanging Black men from trees again.
Women bleeding out in parking lots,
denied care
because compassion’s been made illegal.
People online cheering for brutality
against their neighbors
because they’re “illegal,”
calling it patriotism —
as if its cost were measured in ‘purity.’
Words weaponized
to make people inhuman,
while babies cry for their mommies and daddies.
And we call it
American pride
as if humanity only comes in one color,
as if dignity were theirs to define.
The ugliness isn’t new.
It’s just louder now.
Less ashamed.
No longer hiding in corners,
but walking proud in daylight,
draped in red, white, and denial.
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