Yes Ma’am
I call his name,
And his, “yes, ma’am?”
Makes me pause
Before saying,
“Have a good night.”
In that,
“Yes, ma’am?”
A flicker of fear,
As his eyes
Slightly widen.
I used to love
When students
Answered,
“Yes, ma’am.”
But now,
All I see is
A mother
Explaining,
When a white
Woman speaks,
You answer,
“Yes, ma’am.”
6 thoughts on "Yes Ma’am"
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Oh, Maggie. Wow. I don’t really have words except that I see specific young men as I read this. I love them, and this poem hits deeply.
This is beautiful, Maggie. You’ve left me completely speechless
Wonderful poem, Maggie. Really powerful.
We have come to a time when good manners become frailest shield against centuries of fury built up and straining to break loose. Who will hold the dragons?
I love the way there is such a brief story unfolding here. The discovery is very moving.
There’s a discovery here that I think many people are grappling with, the realization that we really have no idea what other people’s lives are like. Thank you for writing this.