i'm not angry

i’m not angry

I fail to see the world through rose colored shades

sure I see the beauty in sunshine

and laughter

and peace

but who can disagree with me

who can’t see

the stormclouds

the tears

and fear.

but I’m not angry

i laugh to defy the tears

and peaceful to defy the war

but that doesn’t mean

i’ll stop

telling the world how it is

i’m not cynical or radical

i’m real with love in my heart

helping to erase the hurt

through teaching

sharing and caring

is all i can do

i help by being

everything that makes me

happy

anger dissuades

anger sucks out energy

anger encourages tears

instead

i enjoy the people i meet

the opportunity to greet

people who think

people who act

people who perpetrate

happiness

because i’m not angry

Danielle Boissoneau

author's note:

I have a lot of reasons to be mad at the world. I have many reasons to wallow in self pity and act out against the tyranny overbearing our world today. But I choose not to because love and happiness is that much more powerful. People I run into assume I'm another angry Native with issues a plenty to blame them for. Truthfully, my time and energy is better spent. Fuck anger cause anger sucks. I choose happiness and peace because my children and everyone's children need to start seeing that light at the end of the tunnel. Instead of looking for that light, I try to be that light. Someone said it right once, I don't know who it was, but all the darkness in the world cannot put out the light of one candle. So I wrote this poem for all the bureaucrats, students, funding agencies, teachers, TA's and everyone else that assumes that when I speak out about an issue that I'm angry. There are things that need to be heard and shared. I'm not going to stop telling people, but I do choose to share in a good a way as possible. Anger sucks and we need to get over it. This poem reflects the light of my one candle. DB