It’s not that we don’t appreciate you coming,
or the fact that you had to scale that whole tree
with a bullhorn tucked in your pants
it’s just that when you kept shouting
even with the bullhorn
you weren’t nearly as loud
as the girl on the pallet below you
asking us to show her what democracy looks like
and we were, Tree Guy
we were there,
bottlenecked and jammed together,
flooding into every cross street
we were standing up
and saying
No.
Here at our nation’s capital,
we were showing her what democracy looks like
but you kept bellowing into that bullhorn
and we all wanted to march
after being out here for hours
after waiting for hours for the metro
just to get here,
so thanks for showing up Tree Guy
but this isn’t your show
because girls do run the world
and the future is female
but I know that by tomorrow
there will be a dozen
think pieces talking about the men
who showed up for the march,
men like you Tree Guy
and you’re not a bad guy
don’t get me wrong
I’m glad you’re here and all
but this whole day will get re-centered around you
because you are a guy,
not just in a tree
but in the world
and the world always needs to make sure you’re okay
so what I’m saying Tree Guy
is that you’re still have your spotlight
this time tomorrow
you’ll still get your cookie
for being a decent human
and they’ll write about you in the paper
talk about how we need you
and maybe we do
but right now, Tree Guy
put away your bullhorn
because the girl next to me says she’s over you
And the girl on the pallet
motions forward and screams
march,
and we surge forward together
leaving you up there
in your tree.
--Ally Malinenko
or the fact that you had to scale that whole tree
with a bullhorn tucked in your pants
it’s just that when you kept shouting
even with the bullhorn
you weren’t nearly as loud
as the girl on the pallet below you
asking us to show her what democracy looks like
and we were, Tree Guy
we were there,
bottlenecked and jammed together,
flooding into every cross street
we were standing up
and saying
No.
Here at our nation’s capital,
we were showing her what democracy looks like
but you kept bellowing into that bullhorn
and we all wanted to march
after being out here for hours
after waiting for hours for the metro
just to get here,
so thanks for showing up Tree Guy
but this isn’t your show
because girls do run the world
and the future is female
but I know that by tomorrow
there will be a dozen
think pieces talking about the men
who showed up for the march,
men like you Tree Guy
and you’re not a bad guy
don’t get me wrong
I’m glad you’re here and all
but this whole day will get re-centered around you
because you are a guy,
not just in a tree
but in the world
and the world always needs to make sure you’re okay
so what I’m saying Tree Guy
is that you’re still have your spotlight
this time tomorrow
you’ll still get your cookie
for being a decent human
and they’ll write about you in the paper
talk about how we need you
and maybe we do
but right now, Tree Guy
put away your bullhorn
because the girl next to me says she’s over you
And the girl on the pallet
motions forward and screams
march,
and we surge forward together
leaving you up there
in your tree.
--Ally Malinenko
TREE GUY by John Grochalski
Girl On The Pallet by John Grochalski
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