ariella kellett
rage
I want to unboard the train and not worry someone’s following me I want to walk around at night and not look over my shoulder I want to walk around at day and not look over my shoulder I want to walk around period . I want all of my best friends my mother my coworkers to never have been hurt touched forced I want to feel safe. I want men to know how it feels to always feel like you're at someone else's mercy I think it would do them good Or maybe it wouldn’t. I want to be unafraid. I want my dad to know this is why we still need feminism Why we’ll always need it Women’s rights are forever on a seesaw Forever weighed on a scale tipped by men’s opinions I want to stop having to speak so divisively It’s not men it’s the patriarchy But if women are people then oppressors can’t escape what they’ve done to us They can’t forgive themselves So why should we forgive them I want to be allowed to be angry I’ll be angry whether I’m allowed or not But what do you say to someone who isn't willing to hear you? When your words hold no weight When the frequency of your reasoning is too high or too low for their ears to catch How do you speak to someone who would rather lay hands on you? You can’t. So I take my soft heart and harden it I walk around with pepper spray keys between my fingers only one headphone in I hold my breath walking to my car at night lock the doors before buckling my seat belt just girlie things just girlie things just girlie things I laugh at the thought then feel hollow at the thought Wonder what it would take to change things Wonder how do you respond to someone who would rather weaponize your womanhood Hold it against your throat like a knife? So what if I take the handle Point it at the patriarchy’s head like a gun Sometimes violence is the answer.
AK
Ariella Kellett is a student of Creative Writing and a wine professional based in the Pacific Northwest. All her writing is threaded with themes of liberation, magic, women coming to power, or all three. She enjoys birdwatching, catwatching, identifying wildflowers, and being hard to define. You can find her on Instagram, TikTok and Tumblr @vinopoet.