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no amount of frustration
fatigue, discomfort, ego-bruising,
self-reflective suspicion of performative
understanding, misguided saviourism,
wanting to be a good guy, needing to learn
it all, perceptible privilege pandering, fragility,
white guilt, internalised oppression,
feeling uninspired, overlooked, unwanted,
redundant, harmful, or oppressive-

will ever compare to lived experiences
of the authentically marginalised.
unable to live their true selves
decentered and excluded.

there is no inclusion
in systems built for exclusion.
there is no equity
in systems built for exploitation.
those of us who benefit from
these systems must recognise
and name our motives:
self-interest.
altruism
or justice.

the reflection in the mirror
isn’t always what we expect to see,
but we better keep looking
long and hard at what ever looks back.