Shoot the messenger but only when the delivery
through chattered teeth cracks you open heart-
first take his shoes, strip his chest, cut him sideways
lodge the bullet somewhere along the spine
of the book he carries and reads to you from again
teeth chattering because there you are with a gun
after all the men who followed you home shouting
about that ass, cornered you at parties messaged you
dick pics and hey beautifuls and marry mes and
propositions in slurry speech and memories you wish
you could forget here comes the messenger hateful
member shrinking between his thighs when he sees
you cocked and loaded and ready to ejaculate
your nope no more all over whatever apology
he wishes he'd arrived to deliver.
Wait. Back up. First make sure the messenger
is not all men, ask him to drop trow, draw comparisons
between your inbox and him in the sleet on your step
look closely. It is important not to mistake one man
for all the others whose hands traveled into your body
without permission or even request, their way of hello
between classes without showing their faces
make sure to tell him you are being cautious because
you hate it when you are labeled man-hater as much
as you hate whore, slut and every other variant implying
your hatred of men taking control of your body is the same
as a general distaste of men; your awareness that men
will harm your body, your distrust based on years of yes,
that happened to me no, I didn't want it nor was I consulted
being conflated with all men are swine, all men deserve
a heart ripped out and a bullet to the spine as if to say
you are violent for imagining violence against the aggressor
as if to say you have no right to defend.
image from pixabay.com
What a powerful and emotional piece. I love the message that it's not all men, but as a father of 8 daughters... I know I have a predilection to shoot first and apologize afterwords. Reading these verses, and knowing that you've encountered... endured... suffered such things is crushing. What is wrong with men that so many women have been traumatized? Where are the Knights in Shining Armor defending and prosecuting the persecutors? How have we allowed our women (and sometimes our men) to become such consistent victims? It makes me hurt. Where are the good men? Pain like you reveal should never happen, or at the least be rare... the result of some fringe lowlife. This should not be the expectation of our women and girls when they interact with others. I have not endured the pain you share, but I whole heartily support the defense you advocate. If men can not muster up enough Knights to protect... then women must become Valkyries to defend themselves and others. To do any lest would not be doing your okayest.
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I do wish fewer of us had these experiences and that toxic masculinity and rape culture weren't the norm. Thank you for this comment. Eight daughters? Wow! I genuinely can't imagine.
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They have me and four hard core brothers dedicated to see that they are as safe as we can.
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Excellent. Examples for how women should be treated are half the battle.
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I really like the power and message of this poem @shawnamawna. You're right it 'is not all men' but unfortunately I think most of us (men) know some idiot who objectifies women for sport. I play in an amateur pool league and that is where I have come across that type of one-up-man-ship, showing off tinder picks -type bullshit. I play them at pool, try to beat them and that's as far as our association goes. It does make me sad though that it is perceived as the norm in youth culture among certain social groups where I'm from. Thanks for the wonderful poem
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Thank you for reading and commenting. I’m glad you don’t directly participate in the objectification. If more men like you who recognize the damage of thst behavior speak up, change will happen!
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Amazing piece. Keep it up!
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Thank you!
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"ask him to drop trow, draw comparisons
between your inbox and him in the sleet on your step
look closely."
GAAAAAH!! Goosebumps.
Also, tangent: as soon as a man says "not all men," I feel pretty confident in assuming he is one of the men he doesn't want me to think he is. ;)
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❤️ Yes. I hear you. And thank you for being here.
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You seem to have a constant theme for your poems. I hope that it is not from personal experience.
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You are right to see a theme. I have much unfortunate personal experience. Lately I have been in a whirlwind if memories. Writing through ut helps me stay safe in myself. That’s where this series has come from. Thank you for seeing me in these.
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