Poetry | Journal

Part of Me

Part of me, is so disturbed by recent events, that part of me is moved to move words and form my own opinions but it won’t change anything. And that’s part of what fuels my rage and desire to grab them by the collar and say what is wrong with you?
An entire country, giving undeserved empathy to some teen who thought that he could get away with anything but got caught.
And I shudder, and the thought of hundreds of other girls that will never speak up. They know what’s coming, this storm of shame and blame from a media that only aims to say she was drunk, so she’s a liar, and it’s her fault the star athlete’s lives are over.
That clearly, she set herself up for rape when she lifted the plastic cup to her face and decided to partake in part of being a teenager.
This part of me is enraged that I live in a place that think’s it;s ok to say raps isn’t a crime when the victim made an “obvious mistake.” That teach’s it’s ok to take photos and forward to every half known name and publicly humiliate and then claim in court you weren’t a part of anything.
A witness. A bystander who didn’t stop to say hey this girls unconscious this isn’t ok.
And this part of me has to restrain from breaking down when I hear their names, anger boils inside cracking up and down my spine as I’m brought back to a time, reminded of freshmen year. Waking to the sound of tears that one of my worst fears had become a friends reality.
And 4 months later I packed to leave campus, because he’s walking past us like nothing ever happened.
Sex without consent is a death sentence. Not in the law, but in your mind. Trapped with thoughts inside ageing over time like a pomegranate wine multiplying every time something reminds you.
And it’s a stress that both male and female victims hide because of how our society has promised to treat them.
Part of me, thinks more than anything, that everything needs to change. We need to stop teaching don’t put yourself in bad positions, and start teaching, don’t rape.
It sounds like common sense but clearly isn’t from the news today.
And part of me, thinks this anger and frustration is a waste. But part of me knows that’s to blame, because if no one speaks up, nothing is going to change.