Arid remarks

Shrugged-off side glances

Painted with painful disdains

Torment and colorful disgust

Intrinsically defined by nothing but

Side comments and catcalls—

Little girl.

Whistled degradations

Mingling with confidence

And igniting desires

To disappear

 

Value bestowed

In rows of up and down glances

From men I don’t know

And abusive women

I wouldn’t ever want to—

Little girl.

 

What I’m wearing doesn’t matter

Because clothing has never been a factor

Football jerseys 3 sizes to big

Don’t hide me enough

To feel covered up

Away from eyes

And shame

And the weight

Of violation

Defining abilities

 

No, no, no

No, no, no

No means

Knowing when to stop—

Little girl.

No, no, no

Stop

No

 

In step and in synch

Voice by voice

Cry by cry

Answers

Justice

Not alone, not alone, not alone

No, no, no

Me too

And you too

But never found to be unworthy

Even though they said we were—

Little girl.

Marching together – footprint, footprint, footprint

Marks of progress

Shouting freedom

With engraved statements in the ground

 

Outspoken

Noticed

Disturbing everything

No longer silent

Screaming now

Because there wasn’t time to scream before

 

 

Voicing silences

Rights of all the victimized

Never keeping to ourselves

Powerful now

Quiet unhinged

From the creaking doors

Of secretiveness

Not in silence anymore

Many utterances of peaceful warfare

Made in the face of injustice

Little girl.

 

Powerful remarks

Ripping at the walls

Falling ideologies

Bowing to the strength and safety

Breathing in life

Fully,

Safely—

Little girl.