Double Standard
I thought that you were on my side
My equal
Friends
Shared stories under sunny skies
Drinking, swearing, raucous
Forever up to no good
For years
In smokey rooms
We laughed
I stood in dark rooms
supported your band
I sat with you
Tears in your eyes as your heart broke
I baked cakes for your birthday
Threw you a party
Had your back
Ready to fight
But here I am
And you're nowhere to be found
Because when I open my mouth
To talk about something real
I was surprised to find
You think you're being attacked
That I'm pointing the finger at you
Now you'd rather bitch behind my back
As you apologise to my face
Can't wait to tell people I'm a cunt
Asking friends if they think I've changed
Ask my husband to keep me quiet
You will never know the precious tears I wasted on your words
A sea of hurt, a storm of emotion
Your attitude of indifference
Of willful ignorance
The sexist double standard
You get to be you
No matter what you say
No matter how you act
"That's just how he is" they say
But I'm not afforded the same privilege
That word you hate
because you don't understand it
No "That's just how SHE is"
I am judged
I am picked on
Ridiculed
Can't fight antagonism with antagonism
That's just for you
I won't cry anymore
I once cherished
Our friendships
Those days and nights
When our laughter rang out
Into the world
When we owned the room
Because
It is you who has changed
Into people I don't recognise
And now some time has passed
It turns out
I don't miss you at all
Double Standard; Inspired by a group of people who I once considered friends, who turned against me because my feminism was "too much". They are under the impression that by speaking out against misogyny, the patriarchy and male white privilege, makes me a "radical".
