I want to read this at my spoken word meeting next week, but I worry about being seen as appropriating her story or, frankly, telling a woman’s story as a man. Can the community give me opinions on this?
If you want to share it with the group, print it and hand it out. Do something else for yourself, something to which your mouth and heart can bring authenticity. This poem requires a woman’s voice. It’s not like there’s a shortage of poems written in/for a man’s voice.
I disagree. There are details in this poem that code it as a woman, but men have been raped, esp as children. If this commenter feels a personal connection to someone in that place, I think reading this poem would be ok. It specifically suggests we can all see the world on fire if we choose to look.
I want to read this at my spoken word meeting next week, but I worry about being seen as appropriating her story or, frankly, telling a woman’s story as a man. Can the community give me opinions on this?
Seriously? Don’t
If you want to share it with the group, print it and hand it out. Do something else for yourself, something to which your mouth and heart can bring authenticity. This poem requires a woman’s voice. It’s not like there’s a shortage of poems written in/for a man’s voice.
I disagree. There are details in this poem that code it as a woman, but men have been raped, esp as children. If this commenter feels a personal connection to someone in that place, I think reading this poem would be ok. It specifically suggests we can all see the world on fire if we choose to look.