When I Find Myself Oppressed
my tongue is molasses
and sticks to the roof of my mouth
like flies on rubber cemented paper
my tongue is thick
and chokes me when I speak
my tongue is red
and burns from where it’s been
bitten silenced held back
I should very much like
to cut out this thick, sticky, red tongue
and watch if it wriggles
and see the red hotness
drip from my mouth
– Anna Schroeder, 1st Place in Poetry