THE PROBLEM WITH BIGOTRY

When the gatekeeper of the list
in front of the entire list
asked if I wanted to rejoin the list
anticipating (subconsciously, to be sure, because
that's the way the passive-aggressive, right-hands-don't-know-left-handers do it)
that I would be humbled
or cowed
or otherwise posed in submission,
accepting the historical position of inequality,
the deal was off.
These things do take decades.
Privilege grips so
only rust can matter.