You Say I Shouldn’t be Afraid of Men

You say I shouldn’t be afraid of Men;

Because when my first boyfriend raped me,

He obviously didn't mean it.

I was cruel for pressing charges,

even when they failed.

And when my Father’s 27 year old coworker took advantage of me, a 15 year old girl, drugged me up and got me too high to object, he couldn't have meant it either, right?

I just shouldn't have worn that top to work.

And when my second boyfriend raped me, and then asked if he was "better" than the first, he didn’t mean it either, right?

MY fear of men is unrealistic, but their fear of dogs is grounded in experience.

I live in a world where if I have sex I'm a whore and if I don't have sex I'm a prude, but if he rapes me I'm somehow both.

And I live in a world where my bodies natural functions are a fetish and self mutilation is a standard,

but his body's natural functions lead to rape, and I was obviously asking for it.

And they tell you, "We are here to help";

Yet spend so much time white lining and sugar coating the crimes that have already happened,

that preventing the ones that will happen is left to me.

It's not "Don't rape." it's "Let the other girl get raped".

And it's not "Respect others.", but "Respect yourself.".

Because I tempted him, and obviously it couldn't possibly be all men, right?

You’re right. I shouldn’t be afraid of men, because I shouldn’t have to be.

But I am.

 

This poem is about: 
Me

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