Playground Politics by Lorelei Bacht

1.

Throwing: is how we measure distances,

in stones – weaker throwers needing more

stones, due to lack of training, invisible

defects of the muscle or character, because

their mothers were too good to them.

2.

Running: it is the difference between here

and where we ought to be, defined

as the place where we are not. Sitting

is of women. And talk. We run away

from the terrible threat of connection.

3.

Pushing: (and its kissing cousin, shoving)

is how we ascertain who gets to live

versus who gets redundancy. Push in

the hand, push in the bush, the pushes

on the bus go round and round.

4.

Shouting: replaces pushing in polite

society. Best used minimalist – with time,

a good glare should suffice to set the weak

into a convenient state of panic. We did not

say that it was not ugly. All power is.

5.

Thus equipped, we throw ourselves into

forces, armed robberies, daylight abuse

of a power we believe we deserve - it is

not that easy to walk into a room having

prepared nothing, while others have.

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Lorelei Bacht (she/they) is currently running out of ways to define herself. Keywords include: (former) lobbyist, mother (of two), (recreational) entomologist, (terrible) gardener, (adept) fishkeeper. Her recent work has appeared and/or are forthcoming in OpenDoor Poetry, Litehouse, Visitant, Quail Bell, The Wondrous Real, Odd, Abridged, Slouching Beast Journal and The Riverbed Review. She is also on Instagram: @lorelei.bacht.writer