Bite Me! by Valerie Parente
Tell me to shut up
close my mouth
as you bare your teeth,
you chew me up
then spit me out
as you please,
so tell me why you’re so offended
when I say “Bite Me!”
It’s almost as if you’re not offended by the content of my words
but the fact that I had the audacity to dictate what happens to my body first.
– Valerie Parente (12-20-2025)
Danger to Society by Valerie Parente
They say that my anatomy
is a danger to society
when it comes to expressing
all that’s inside of me.
Yet I’m not too dangerous
for you to profit off of it
for you to get off with it
do whatever you want with it
but I need to be cautious with it.
You censor my canvas
and give yourself the advantage
with arbitrary rules and guidelines
while I’m just collateral damage.
But if you ask me
you’re the real danger to society
because you take what isn’t yours
then make it my responsibility.
– Valerie Parente (5-15-2024)
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