Moments after her first steps, mama showed her how to run.
Preparing young Sylvie for the inevitable day,
when she caught the attention of a man who refused to go away.
Sylvie knew all about the monsters under the bed,
she was well-versed on the boogeyman, who filled her with dread.
She could describe the Wolf-man, Dracula, and even Frankenstein,
but her mother warned her the wickedest creature of all was mankind.
She said, “This world was not built for us, we are merely trespassers here.”
Determined to protect her daughter from the same predatory men she feared.
Why do we teach young girls to keep themselves safe,
without teaching little boys not to hurt or maim?
We desire to build our daughters up to believe they can do anything,
to raise them to be confident, and devoid of suffering.
But what good is it when society just shoots them down,
laughing at them for thinking it were any different now.
The prevalent culture today treats women like objects;
it teaches them to avoid late hours, and even polices how they dress.
When a man finally lapses, and commits insidious rape,
excuses are made in courtrooms, to prevent justice from taking place.
There is no such thing as justice when athletes and celebrities
are let off with less than a slap on their wrists.
How are our sisters and daughters to feel valued like this,
when all the evidence proves their cases will only be dismissed.
It is as though their pain is meaningless,
like a woman’s worth is nothing when compared to her male counterpart’s.
The system is made up of ripped stockings, scars, and broken hearts.
How are we expected to compete with the corrupt patriarchs who are in charge?
Imagine the pain of having your innocence stolen from you,
the agony of being penetrated by someone you never knew.
No amount of counseling could erase the tears that come at night,
the sole consequence of being used then tossed aside, and left to die.
Rape is such a malevolent act, it robs victims of their entire lives;
the futures they could have had are tarnished, their dreams all fade to black.
Anxiety rushes to the surface, signaling another oncoming panic attack,
paranoia collaborates with post-traumatic stress creating never-ending flashbacks.
There cannot be change until even privileged rapists are made examples of,
justice will fail to exist until every criminal understands the severity of their actions.
We can pretend equality exists all we want, that will not make it so,
I stand with survivors and I’ll fight for their cause until faith in my fellow man can be restored.
