'Heart on My T-Shirt'

I’ve always worn my convictions in cotton,
now threadbare from too many washes—
Humanity represented by slogan,
like my ancestors who painted their bodies
before battle,
a statement to their enemy
of the sword on which they were willing
to die defending.

I always needed people to know
what I stood for,
for those too scared to stand.
To be a walking embodiment of conviction,
adorned by printed protest.

I always wanted to be the voice
for the mouths not allowed to speak.
So I stitched my empathy to fabric,
my hope to a hem,
and wore my heart on my t-shirt.

Not just dissent,
but a signal—
of allyship,
a beacon kindled with thread
and ignited by ink,
to help those still in the dark
step proudly from the shadows.

Adey Bee April 2025 ©

Adey Bee was proud to be a finalist for Stoke-on-Trent Poet Laureate.

You can follow Adey's creative journey on their Instagram page under the name of poet_provocateur.