It starts off with a whisper,
a slight ruffle,
like a summer breeze moving through tree branches,
a few twisted words that slip from loose lips,
that's all it takes to stir up a hurricane of chaos

     Hey did you hear?

whispers that evoke labels
&
discrimination
as if they magically grant everyone permission to poke and ****

              ****              *****                    b­itch                   worthless
                            ugly          loner        ­  ***             ***

these twisted words lead to stares that burn holes with the heat of their intensity
&
pointed fingers that judge,
&
condemn

      Did you hear about what happened?! You won't believe it!

they lead to giggles
&
laughs brought on by a sick satisfaction of entertainment found at the expense of the agony of another

     Oh my god, isn't that her?

they lead to tears behind closed doors
&
ends with nothing but
   *painpainpainpain