white woman (crocodile) tears
By Olivia Shen
Crocodile tears is a phrase that refers to a false display of emotions, specifically sadness or grief. The term is derived from the phenomenon of crocodiles crying whilst consuming prey.
white woman tears and crocodile tears are one in the same
when tear-stained cheeks cry only for bloody murder
the crocodile
wades in the water with jaws snap that cut through my sinews and snaps my bones
her gluttony powers her cruelty which smears the water with my red
but when i look, she looks, he looks, they look, the world looks… she cries,
weeping through her fleshy swallows and crimson teeth, she mourns,
tear after tear as she devours and weeps me
her tears fall, marbleizing the blood stained waters
her appetite is satiated (for now)
her strikes will subdue (she sinks back into the water)
her tears will dry (the water is settling)
(and her cruelty which shaped my mutilation is hidden in her stomach, my pain has dissipated into the heat of the air, my echoing cries smothered)
so it is quiet, because she has been fed, but in death i smile
because the water will always be tainted pink
and when the water calms, she is crocodile woman.
Taking Root: The Girls Write Now 2022 Anthology
For more than two years, our young writers have weathered an adolescence shaped by an ongoing global pandemic. But a harsh climate can also produce work of rare depth, complexity, nuance and humor. The Girls Write Now mentees in this collection have found new ways to build community and take root. This anthology is a catalog of seeds—each young writer cultivating a shimmering, emergent voice. In short stories, personal essays, poetry, and more, they reflect on life-altering topics like heartbreak, self-care and friendship. The result is a stunning book with global relevance of all this generation has endured and transformed.
Process
I was inspired to write this poem after a lesson about racism during my AP U.S. History class. We learned about how the Tulsa Race Massacre was incited after a white woman falsely accused a Black teenager of sexual assault. I was reminded of how the weaponization of white women’s fragility for the purpose of upholding racism is akin to that of crocodile tears, a.k.a. falsified grief.
Olivia Shen
Olivia Shen is a Gemini sun, Gemini moon and Cancer rising high school senior based in the Bay Area. Her passions include humanitarian rights and politics. Her hobbies include writing and learning (beyond school). One of her proudest achievements is when she joined mock trial—she has found a sense of confidence with competing and public speaking in impromptu settings. Her favorite movie is Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel.
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