Flesh and Bone

Were my words too raw

like meat bleeding on the butcher’s block

as I stripped the skin from my flesh

in front of you revealing every nerve and sinew

Did you choke on your rank hypocrisy your empty platitudes about empathy

as I suffered while you stood stolidly silent behind the brick walls and impenetrable fences

erected to ensure your precious privacy

when you know damn well their true purpose

is to protect you from reality