Happy Thanksgiving to all! I am grateful for, among many other things, all the beautiful and honest women's voices in the world.

The thirtieth Moon Prize on today's full moon (in New Mexico it's full moon later today, not tomorrow as in other parts of the world) goes to Lola Steel's riveting poem "Polite." It evokes so many familiar moments.

Polite

by Lola Steel

I am raw,
sitting, listening, feeling
what’s inside.

there is a maelstrom

hidden from view

as it plays beneath the surface.

my thoughts burn
and tumble,
wanting - needing - to be voiced.

yet not brought forth.

they are, politely,
censored and tucked away.

they rear up,

demanding, clamouring,
stronger each time they surge.

I speak of truths,
honesty, visibility, transparency
openness. Strength. Presence.

all the while, I remain silent.
debating with myself why I leave
unsaid what needs to be said.

I am polite, nice, well-mannered.
it’s always better that I am
uncomfortable instead of someone else.

I see the edge that divides
the woman who is strong

and the one who is a bitch.

that edge is sharp
and I’m done
being the one hurt by it.

done with laughing it off
with accepting,

with allowing.

finished with being

the one cast aside,

for polite.

* * * * *

Lola is a happiest when wrangling words and crafting escapes for her readers to indulge in. The words that find a way to sneak out of her mind find their homes in her writings that range from poetry to short stories, novellas and LGBTQ+ erotica. www.whiskysweet.com is her home on the web if you’d like to stop by for a visit.