We are Coming for Our Language

a poem by Shirley Jones In the history of words         suffragettes fighting for rightsbadges of honor     queer an insult         to some but a fortuneto others       who wish to  tell it slant & mingle fact with fictionas they try to     copyright our words    we must reclaim our namesThis appropriation is unnecessary    for the power of languagehas been distorted       & used against usThis is unacceptable        our culture will not be tainted   our wordswill not be appropriated   we will veto this wrong an offensivesting       a symbol of irrational actions    now in play must berestricted by law     singled out for the corruption   that it is& present itself    for intense scrutiny     for our language is at stake