You Wouldn’t Understand

“ "You wouldn't understand,"
I was told after sitting through
Hours and hours of school
Facts crammed inside my head
Like values in society
That, "You wouldn't understand."
What don't I understand?
I swore I understood
That my school was a target
A target of a cultural epidemic
A target of violence
That, "You wouldn't understand."
Why wouldn't I understand
That, at thirteen, my death
Was nothing more than a statistic
To politicians and law-makers
A political agenda
That, "You wouldn't understand."
Why can't you understand
That my activism is not 'just a hobby'
As bullets ricochet over my dead body
My last words might be, "Shots fired!"
But all you've fired is, "Thoughts and prayers."
That, "You wouldn't understand."
When will you understand
That you've treated a symptom
Of a disease as if the symptom
Was the disease itself
Like my mental health
That, "You wouldn't understand."
Why don't you understand
That I'm willing to take a stand,
But I guess I'm too young to understand
The hatred that coats society
Like gloss on a bullet
Or blood on a body
That, "You wouldn't understand."
I know you understand
That, with age comes knowledge
But with youth should also come
Innocence and I only knew the word
'Innocent' because it was shouted
Over my student body
"They're innocent!"
That, "You wouldn't understand."
"You'll never understand!"
Yelled the terrorist that shot
Through my best friend's body
"You wouldn't understand!"
The metal detectors and
Clear backpacks as if they were
Effectors of a million-dollar depression brand
That, "You wouldn't understand."
What can I understand?
What don't I understand? ”

© Molly Grace Chakery 2019