Because I’m A Woman..
There is a 1 in 5 chance
That I will be sexually assaulted during my 4 years of college
Because I’m a woman
I won’t be able to walk home alone at night
Without my right hand on my pepper spray
And my left hand on my phone
Because I’m a woman
Men feel like they own me
Like they can whistle at me however they please
Make kissy noises
And grab my ass
Block my path
Strike fear into my soul
Wondering if i’ll make it home alive
Because I’m a woman
I’m terrified of going off to college
And becoming another..
Statistic
The big bad streets of Manhattan may chew me up
And spit me back out
The night my ride ditches me
And I’m alone
Because I’m a woman
I have to let a friend know
What guy I’m with
Where I’m going
What kind of car her drives and his license plate number
Just in case
I’m not home on time
Because I’m a woman
The harassment won’t stop once I leave college
Because my workplace can be just as dangerous
Because I’m a woman
I should take it
Stay silent
Be ashamed
Because I’m a woman
People will call me a slut
Say I was asking for it
Demand to know what I was wearing and where I was
Were you drinking?
Where were your friends?
Why were you out so late?
Who gives a damn what I wear
Or where i was
They say that often you’re assaulted by someone you know
When are you going to start asking the right questions
Hold the assailant responsible
When will I feel safe enough to walk across campus with calling
For a security escort
When will it stop being the victims fault
When will men and women be held accountable for their actions
When will I be free to wear what I want
Without worrying that it’s too much
That it’ll provoke and justify an attack
When will society really open up its eyes
We say we understand
We sympathize with victims
And bash on rapists
But every day that goes by
More people fall victim
To this horrible injustice
Every 107 seconds another american is sexually assaulted
What are you gonna do about it?
MadHatter Poetry 