well-meaning bullshit

now, daddy always told me

i’d go for a lot at the slave market and

he always meant it as a compliment and

i always took it as a compliment ‘cause

he didn’t know how to say,

“you’re sturdy, girl, and i love that about you.”

but one day i realized i had reason to take issue

so i took issue because some of my sisters

have mothers whose mothers

went for a lot at the slave market because

they were “sturdy girls” and

some white man loved that about them