my anger knows my name
knows my value and my pain
knows every time I’ve been mistreated
or left out in the rain
my anger knows my worth
knows who I’ve been since birth
knows every time that I’ve been used
then cast back down to earth
my anger knows a liar when she sees one
knows when someone is a no or a yes
she’s kept detailed records my whole life
sees the patterns that I don’t
and when I’m getting less
she screams into the void of my soul
when I’m misunderstood
when my words are misconstrued
when someone decides my intentions are not what they are
my anger makes the ground of my chest rumble with thunder
a boiling pot of herself
when I’m told I’m
too aggressive
too sensitive
too much
because how dare they try to shrink my care
until I fit into the identity they need me to wear
my anger knows my shame
all the dark corners it likes to hide in
and white knuckles when it calls my name
she cries through gritted teeth
‘don’t listen to it!
you are more than
all the things
for which
you’ve been convinced
to take the blame!’
she’s right.
my anger knows what the fuck is up
she always has
she always will
now that she’s not kept in a box
she and I can sit and talk
and I can tell her thank you
for trying to keep me safe
for checking all the locks
my anger knows my name
and I know hers too
they’ve always been one in the same