Poetry: Why Tinkerbell Quit Anger Management
I had to give up on their remedies.
They kept trying to make me less angry,
but I refuse to surrender my rage.
Because whole kingdoms have already spent
millennia trying to keep women subdued,
only to be discarded in old age.
My fury gets things done,
it has saved lives, it has made the world listen
where I could not speak, my anger has screamed.
Think Helen of Troy when they took her freedom.
Think the Rani of Jhansi leading rebellions.
Think Joan of Arc leading armies on what she dreamed.
So now I love my tinderbox heart
so easy to light up,
all it takes is half a spark.
A woman’s anger can change the world,
I know mine can and this is not a gift
I will give away.
I am small and I am angry,
it is how I channel my energy
and I like me that way.
—Nikita Gill
Feelings are great and powerful things. For years, a large part of getting older has been having to control your emotions or, worse, repress them, and this holds true especially for negative emotions. The truth is, even your negative emotions have a strong reason for being there, and part of fully accepting and loving ourselves should be to acknowledge these emotions and the role they play in our growth as individuals. Anger, when used to ignite movements, when used to face oppressors, can save entire communities. —Nikita Gill
From Fierce Fairy Tales: Poems & Stories to Stir your Soul by Nikita Gill. Published by Hachette Books.
