Friday, September 21, 2018

A poem for Kavanaugh and the other men like him

Sources have told reporters that the GOP leadership is concerned about all the open anger from women circulating about the Kavanaugh nomination and the way they are dismissing, minimizing, and flat out blowing off the allegations against him of sexual assault. They're fearful that the Republican party will pay a steep price at the ballot box for their open acceptance of rape and sexual assault--and downright stunned at the fierce reaction of women. Who knew this was such a sensitive issue?

https://www.newsweek.com/brett-kavanaugh-accuser-testimony-damaging-republicans-1127225

https://www.politicususa.com/2018/09/19/republicans-fear-kavanaugh-sex-allegations-will-hurt-them-in-midterms.html

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a23318062/brett-kavanaugh-hurt-republicans-midterm-elections/

Twitter and Facebook are full of women telling of their own stories of assault at a young age that are much like Dr. Blasey Ford's and of the pain, fear, shame, and lasting damage they've endured. Other women are trying to comfort and support them. And yes, we're filled with rage.

Here's a poem of my own to explain to these men what they're dealing with and what they've unleashed.



CONFESSION

is good for the soul, they tell us,
but what of the body, pressed
into service against its will but lacking
ability to say no, being female
and young and poor and only
“some little half-breed girl,
you know what they're like,
born fucking,” implicit permission
of the white man's imagination?
Backed into corners, pulled into alleys,
too small, body still growing,
to put up a good fight against grown-man muscle,
coming away with bruises, black eyes, broken
jaw one time, but fighting hard and blind spitting crazy
enough to make it not worth their while
to consummate. The refuse-to-remember first time
taught that fear-backed rage, that cunning
need to find anything at hand to inflict pain,
make them stop, lamp, end table, chair, boom box,
teeth to arm, stomp on instep, kick to groin.

Grown now, safe, heavy, elder,
if my surroundings smell wrong,
they suddenly flick me back—old, bad,
dangerous times. I forget I'm not small
and powerless. Fury fills my veins, and eyes
search for something to transform into weapon,
whole body throbbing with desire
to punish, inflict pain, drive off, destroy.
I walk through the world, a quiet lie.
Such dark lives within me
like a hidden serpent, rage-dragon,
while I politely order tea.

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for reading, Judith! And welcome home!

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  2. So powerful! I'm 71 years old and it's been over 50 years since having been molested by more than one family member. And I can still remember the details and despite thousands of dollars in therapy, moments like this bring up all the old memories and especially the feelings of shame and humiliation and fear. And though my abusers are dead and supposedly gone, they are still in my head, heart, and soul and they can still hurt me all over again. I look to warriors like you for strength to go on -- because thoughts of suicide still plague me despite all the love from my precious husband and children.

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  3. Yes, those details stay imprinted on our brains. This whole Kavanaugh thing has been triggering for so many of us. Sick to our stomachs and full of rage, we have watched the GOP dismiss the experiences and pain of all of us. A sad day for women and survivors of all kinds.

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