Yooo! I wanna scream,
Shatter glass
Shoot shards like a pool cue
And bank dat shit
In the pocket
No chalk
Extra spin
But you ain't know
That pool halls are cooler
When they are 100 ft fm your front door
And hustling
Helped make my dream come true.
Nah.
What you see
Is opportunity
Petite
Pretty enough
To almost love
Ravage instead of revere
Fulfill your half steppin
Promises
So that rape is as okay
As disbelief
Dismissal
Demand
Defiance.
I ain't even real to you
Just some
One you don't need to know
Generic cereal on the bottom shelf
Ain't taking her home to momma
Girl Friday
Tuesday morning
Thursday after work
Because you value you
And I ain't worth more
Than the violence
You created
The tornadoed lies
Swirling up dust
Choking me
Into believing
I can save my own breath
Giving it you
Draining my freedom
Until I am shackled
Endebted
Without signature or handshake
Crying.
And you ain't wiping away my tears,
Standing there
Wasted condom
Expecting my voice
To respond to nuanced demands
Dancing around
Like the ring I'll never see
Or public I'm not worthy of.
See,
Rape
Reveals the ugly
Leaves the wrapper on the floor
Runs through every relationship
Until you expect
Disadvantage
In exchange for like
Intimacy
Broken bridges crossed
Again and again
Looking for the rope burn
The knot to hang on to;
It ain't there
Like my trust
It swings skeptically
Skipping over
The sadness
Sitting next to you
Laces tied
Hamstrings stretched
Waiting to pick up
The baton and run
Run
Run
Furiously far away
Fm you
Pretending to cheer me on
Divesting my attention
Driving me to devalue
When all I want is
What you ain't wanna give.
Rape doesn't begin
At no
Pressed between
Strength and stupidity
Society and self
It's pissing on the sacred
Dissipating
Drowning
Daring to tear truth
Rather than wait to experience her;
Domestic terrorism
Is a learned behavior
And I'm hoarse
Hands crusted and cut up
Chalk board full
Handouts at the back door.
Class dismissed.
