A Scarlet Ode to Hawthorne
My shame is my scarlet letter
Sewn stitch by stitch by years
A scarlet letter emblazoned
An alphabet on my chest
A superhero’s symbol disguised
Find me a phone booth
Tear off my Brook Brothers shirt
Pull down my J Crew pants
It’s good to see my scarlet letter
Fly like a speeding bullet
Save us before we fall
Into the maddening crowd
Is it a superpower
When everyone has it too
No man is free from shame
All of us Hesters in disguise
Superheroes without shame
Some heroes act without applause
Some of us for Pearls in oysters
I can hear Dimmsdale’s sermon
My Chillingworth condemns me
My scarlet letter beats on my chest
My shame for all to see
My superpower my weakness
My weakness on full display
God chose the weak in this world
We bring shame to the strong
We are the stones of Zion
We cause the shameless to pause
Look back on our scarlet letter
Shameless in our exposition
Without shame what are we?
Without the scarlet letter
Aren’t we just numbers?
Copyright © Triny Xiang | Year Posted 2024
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