Your Anger
I can see you think your anger is a brave and iridescent thing
that burns bright when all around you is dark
but really, your anger is a karen in the park
screaming at picnickers
it’s a fart in the car
your anger is a toddler
prostrate on the kitchen floor
howling because she can’t wear her dirty knickers as a hat.
Your anger is a tweet
sent drunk at 3am
oh look, it’s tagged in Trump
that ought to do it.
Your anger is a t-shirt that says: I STILL HATE THATCHER
Your anger is Nazi memorabilia
Your anger is Andrew Tate
explaining the cultural significance of Oasis.
It’s a far right rally with six attendees.
You think it’s a wolf howling at the moon
but it’s a pug,
growling at a bin.
Your anger will not stop the cuts
your anger will not defeat Kimi Badenoch
your anger will not bring home the hostages
your anger will not stop the bombing, right now
your anger can scarcely stand up
it’s in someone else’s booked seat
wagging its finger
and I’ll tell you this for free.
it’s trying to piss in the doorway of a church
it’s got kebab all down it’s front
and later it will feel sad
in the air-freshened air of a cab
get home and call its mum a cunt.
But here’s some good news:
you are not your anger
and your anger is not you.
So put your anger in a old shoe box
like a tiny, chirping thing
and go out. I hear
the east coast is nice, breathe in
those big skies, eat a bacon sandwich
in a caff and when you come back
feed it bits of worms and stuff
until it grows. Model for it
how to love. When you get things wrong
sit on the end of its bed and apologise.
Show it how to walk backwards
let it choose for itself, let the years
fall like leaves.
Now look, you anger has grown
into something beautiful
your anger is a teacher
your anger is a social worker
your anger has taken off its glasses and let down its hair
and all the jocks are saying wow, but like you’re beautiful.
Your anger is the prom queen now
and as the sun rises red behind her
we see that look in her eye and know
she will take her newfound power
and make the world afresh.