Feb 2020
We should not be fighting
Yet here we are
In an arena surrounded by flames
You raise your sword in anger
Assuming the worst intentions from me
Asserting that I must be destroyed
To ensure your survival
But we are not enemies
We are two unique patterns on a diverse tapestry
Fight not against me, but alongside me
Against the true monsters of the world
For we are all struggling together
Yet here we are
In an arena surrounded by flames
You raise your sword in anger
Assuming the worst intentions from me
Asserting that I must be destroyed
To ensure your survival
But we are not enemies
We are two unique patterns on a diverse tapestry
Fight not against me, but alongside me
Against the true monsters of the world
For we are all struggling together
I wrote this poem over five years ago, during a time when online gender discourse felt like trench warfare—bitter, polarized, and exhausting. This piece came from a sincere desire for unity, not to sidestep hard conversations, but to remind us that mutual survival depends on solidarity.
Men, women, and nonbinary people face different struggles—but we don’t have to see each other as enemies by default. Reading this again years later, I recognize how it reflects a hopeful, if conflicted, moment in time. I’ve learned a lot since then, but I still stand by the heart behind these words.
Peaceful coexistence isn’t naivety—it’s a choice. And I still believe in choosing it.
Men, women, and nonbinary people face different struggles—but we don’t have to see each other as enemies by default. Reading this again years later, I recognize how it reflects a hopeful, if conflicted, moment in time. I’ve learned a lot since then, but I still stand by the heart behind these words.
Peaceful coexistence isn’t naivety—it’s a choice. And I still believe in choosing it.
