the cherry blossoms

i stumble

into the protest on the mall

while taking

pictures

of the cherry blossoms

when a 

a woman, with a crew cut,

and muscles, well, a few women

attack

me.

hitting me on the head

with their

hashtag me too

movement placards

and oversized handbags.

i go to the ground, they start

kicking me.

punching

and yelling at me.

hey, hey

what have i done?

please stop.

you're a man, they say.

we know

what you've been doing

and thinking.

how dare you come

down here

while we're marching for

equal rights

and reparations,

i point to the cherry blossom

trees.

i'm taking pictures.

they're beautiful,

pretty, like all of

you gals.

i cringe as i absorb a kick

from a doc martin

boot.

no, no,

you have me all wrong.

i like all you chicks, really.

then the lights go out.