When I first came to college, it quickly became apparent to me that women have faced challenges I had never faced. The privileged environment I grew up in did not expose me to the aggression that so many women face every day. By befriending more women, I became aware of the trauma, violence, fear, hatred and horrific acts these women have endured. Stepping out into the world brought reality to my own door and forced me to confront the feelings and reactions to aggression never known to me. This rude awakening has broken my heart so deeply that the emotions have erupted and woken me up with nightmares. Waking from these dreams has me so distorted I roll over and cry, and once awake for the day, my emotions are running so thickly through my veins they move my hand to write these words…
How can you not see it?
How can you not hear it?
It’s a cry.
It’s a crime.
It’s an epidemic.
An emergency.
A panic.
Help us.
Stop it. Stop them.
Help me, dear God help me.
You there,
Stop pretending like
you don’t see them.
Like you don’t hear me.
Can’t you feel it?
You could never know.
It’s a crime.
Punishable by death.
But we are the only ones dying.
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