The Listening

no. 10: it's not okay

trigger warning: rape
//this one's old as hell but still relevant/

When I walk down the street,
my hands are in my pockets.
Not because they're cold,
but because I'm slipping my keys between my fingers
because I know that impromptu brass knuckles
are more effective than my bare fists.

Nobody asks for it.

Nobody wants to be violated in such a vile,
in such a life altering -- 
in such a life-ending way.

Nobody wakes up one day and says
"Hey
I want to be raped."

Women, children, grown men and boys,
they're all victims of this disgusting ploy.
This nasty invasion,
this non-consensual liaison.

It leaves them broken.

There is no return from that .
There is no return for the perpetrator or the perpetrated,
they will have nightmares for years,
any sound hitting their ears could make them jump in fear
and they're left broken.

Not always on the outside, although there's plenty of that, too,
but their insides are scarred.
They become emotionally barred
And hurt.

Rapists make excuses.
"She was dressed too provocatively."
"But he's a guy, you can't rape guys!"
It's toxic.
It's so fucking toxic!
No means no!

Too young to understand means no!
Drunk means no!
"I don't know" means no!
Just stop!

How can rape be right?
How can rape be justified?
A little girl was left bruised and battered by her rapists
by teenage boys,
But "it's okay!"
They're young!
They're stupid!
They didn't know better!

That's bullshit!

How about the woman
who went to a party for the first time in forever
She drank a little bit too much, sure,
But that's no fucking excuse.

A man dragged her behind a dumpster
and took her innocence from her,
but it's okay!
He's a fucking athlete.
You can't ruin his future because he got twenty minutes of action!

Guess he shouldn't have raped.

Her future is ruined. Have you thought about that?
He ruined her.

So excuse me but
my hands are in my pockets because
this can happen to anyone.

No matter what age they are,
no matter what they're wearing,
people get raped.

And it's not okay.