They renounce her name,
As though they ever owned it,
calling her emotional, liar, attention-seeker,
Asking for it.
As though they would know how to listen
if she spoke.
As though she is not just a woman
weeping for the innocent.
Prejudice turns his back,
teeth filled to the brim with excuses
and laughter. His grin calls her
punchline.
She calls home
But the line is no longer in service.
By Marlena Clement, Class of 2019
The Panther Perspective 