THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.

A man knocked at my door yesterday,

He begged me for some food

So I went in to find something for him

Of course I didn't want to be rude

But suddenly he broke in

And held a gun at my head

I was too frightened to not give in

Turns out he wasn't just there for being fed

He emptied my house and ran off with ease

And I couldn't help but question

wasn't kindness supposed to bring me peace?

My neighbors showed up in no time

As I cried as loud as I could

I told them my whole story

And they believed my decision was no good.

My kindness was taken advantage of

But they blamed me for being too naive

They told me you can't trust anyone

The world isn't the same as it was when you were five

The next day a man showed up at my door

He begged me for some food

I decided not to offer him anything

Because a thief taught me it's better to be rude.