To The Woman Who Said No
He knelt down on one knee for you
Eyes to yours, hand in his pocket
Your gaze jumping everywhere except for his
Your chest dropped to your stomach, thoughts becoming silent prayers
That the sets of eyes passing by would focus elsewhere
The four words that fell from his lips
Were a pair of hands that curled around your throat
Much like his had done so last week
Much like the weight of his fists
Before bruises crept up the sides of your back
His expression was soft
He wore the same furrowed brows, slightly curved lips, eyes round and hopeful
In the same sinister way as he did when he told you how much he loved you
He didn’t notice that your lips were a flat-lined heartbeat
He didn’t notice that you were a frail ribbon he couldn’t wrap around his ring finger
But you found the backbone to sheepishly decline
And somehow, the people hissed and catcalled you
They violently whistled as he tucked away the ring box
You could’ve faked the “yes” for his sake, but you didn’t
And you didn’t need to
The same men who howled at you
Who called you ungrateful, an undeserving bitch
Were the men who taught their daughters
To beware of the sea of predators
But failed to teach their sons that
No does not mean yes
And neither does her silence
Those people seemed to forget
Their daughters exist in a world where
Nail polish is built to detect date-rape drugs
Apps are designed to get you home safely
And women are blamed for their assault
When asked about the outfit they wore on the night of
You always do as your father told you:
You hold your purse close to your body
You fail to make eye-contact with the stranger walking by
You always recount your change to make sure you weren’t ripped off
You carry mace in your purse in the shape of a lipstick tube
You are always accompanied by a safe male presence when walking back to your car at night
And you say “no” when you need to
“No” should not have to taste sour on the tongue
“No” is a not a getaway, but it is a safe haven
“No” is a loaded weapon that we carry in our throats
“No” is destroying someone else if it means that we can preserve ourselves
Sincerely,
Jenna D.