I’m your criminal

I’m your refugee

I’m everything you believe me to be

I’m not your demographic

I’m the blunt of your rhetoric

I’m your worst enemy

I’m your dreaded nationality

I’m your scapegoat

I’m your thief

I’m your oppressor

I’m your worst fear

I’m your anything

As long as I’m not human

No longer am I a hairdresser

No longer am I a shopkeeper

No longer am I a friend

No longer am I a brother

No longer am I a person

No longer can I be your equal

Because If I was on your level

Who would take the heat

Who would face the policies

Who would face the hate you propagate

to stay in power

to stay relevant

to stay meaningful to your anti-me’s

who are human

but not I

I’m not allowed to play

I’m not allowed to stay

I’m not allowed to see the light of day

I’m disavowed from your democracy

For your people, but not for me

Your bars repress my freedom

Your argue they save yours

your assumptions endanger my safety

You argue they assure yours

your preconceptions poison me

Yet they’re your holy elixir

your prejudice strangles society

Suppressing hope and equality

I’m your criminal

I’m your refugee

I’m everything you need me to be

As long as I’m not human