[the Writing of Kuypers] [JanetKuypers.com] [Bio] [Poems] [Prose]
some women are raped
some women are raped
and some women are raped
have you ever felt
to whether you looked at people
have you ever felt
that a stare could haunt you
or your skirt was too short
or if you ate a banana
have you felt it
in their homes
or in the streets
in their homes or in the streets
by men whom we call “strangers”
in their homes or in the streets
by men we call psychiatrists,
doctors, college professors,
friends, lovers,
husbands and fathers
in the streets or in offices
by men who merely sit there
and commit rape with looks
with smirks
with insults
with threats
Bob Lamm, 1976
you’ll never understand
that everything you did
from the clothes you chose to wear
to the way you styled your hair
to the way you walked down the street
to the way you sat at your desk
as they passed you in the grocery store
when you picked up the food for the family
that everything you did
was under the scrutiny
of half the world
if you looked too confident
or your eyes wandered for too long
and actually caught someone’s gaze
or you didn’t cross your legs
or happened to lick your lips
well, you’re not a woman
Copyright Janet Kuypers.
All rights reserved. No material
may be reprinted without express permission.
|
