Shamed into Silence
No witnesses you say?
Perhaps you led them on.
You danced? You drank?
I bet you flirted.
What were you wearing?
After all, boys will be boys.
His words tear through me
like a tornado through a town.
Don’t make a fuss, he warns.
There are reputations at stake.
I fight to control the storm
that swirls within me.
I want to shout:
My body was not theirs to steal!
My body carries my soul.
My soul carries my Light.
My Light is my strength,
my hope, my essence.
How dare you slide these ravagers
into the shadows!
How dare you shove me
into secrecy!
I submit to shame.
I acquiesce to fear.
One day, I shall reclaim my power.
I will howl my cautionary tale
to women everywhere.
Beware!
There are thieves among us.
Be not victims.
Be as Minerva, goddess
of wisdom and war.
Be brave. Be strong.
Refuse to be Silenced!
Photo by Davide Ragusa on Unsplash
I Walk with a Limp 