Uniform-ity

by Bernadette Gallagher / November 30th, 2025

I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve;
nor flags or shrouds to wrap my body
around, to state, intimidate or separate.
What country?
What religion?
What flag?
What politics?
What group?
White for sure. Is it a woman…?
On me there will be no icons no emblems
to dictate to indicate.
Who do you belong to?
Free thinking a dream, blinded.
I’m internal, not external.
I won’t dress up in all that weight.
We’re delivered to the world naked of all;
the layers of conditioning pinned upon us,
like rosettes on a prize bull,
creating the hate, the othering, them not us.
I prefer uniforms that can be shed, chameleon-like.
Leaving something to the imagination.
Imagine that?

Bernadette Gallagher lives in County Wicklow, Ireland. Her 'home' county is Donegal. Born and raised in the UK of immigrant parents. She says, events in print are events remembered. Read other articles by Bernadette.

This article was posted on Sunday, November 30th, 2025 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.