by Johannah Simon
when you bawled your way home after school
because a big kid shoved you so hard during recess
that your bare knees scraped against the playground wood chips
I wanted to preach forgiveness
but a turned cheek would give him another target
instead I reminded you
boys will always underestimate the speed and power
of an angry girl’s fists
and that violence is never the answer
until it is
Johannah Simon is a corporate strategist, adjunct professor, and (sometime) creative. A Midwest GenX writer, her tiny pieces have appeared in Citywide Lunch, HAWKEYE, BULL, The Hooghly Review, Underbelly Press, A Sufferer’s Digest, and Fahmidan Journal. Hit her up on X @JohannahWrites, @johannah.bsky.social, and at www.thewritingtype.com.