Day 11 - Defensive

For today’s prompt, write a defensive poem. The first thing that springs to my mind is getting defensive about an accusation, which may or may not be true. The next thing I think about might be people or animals defending themselves. Or defense in sports. Or defense in the court room. Or well, there’s a lot to defend in this world.


Defensive

I'm not a bad person.  I'm not a bad person.
I'm not a bad person. I'm not a bad person.

How many times did she say this?
How did it loop in her brain?

It was this judgement she feared, I think,
- what do I know -
more than anything.

You're not a bad person
if you can't cry for help.

You're not a bad person
if you can't put it down.

You're not a bad person
if you live precariously
at the edge of all blackness.

You're not a bad person
if you fall.  And keep falling.

And have no hope of not
falling.

You're not even a bad person
if you're dead.

You're just dead and that's why
everyone is upset with you.