Not All Men
They say it's not all men
But that's not what I thought
For the months I was touched
In a crowded room while nobody watched
My 13 year old body
Once innocent and pure
Forever changed by fear and disgust
Or years later when his sweet begging
Coaxed my clothes off of my fragile skin
Stripping me of what was left of my voice
The boy i trusted
The boy who claimed to be mine
The boy who was supposed to love me
Not just my body
Or another boy I thought I loved
Who’s hands roamed my body
Looking for self gratification
Not once questioning my silence
Or a year later at 16
By an old man who was convinced
That a child was in love
Pulling me close
As my eyes filled with fear
When my body shut down on the bus ride home
Mind going blank
Trying not to cry
Or a month later when a boy
My best friends older brother
Decided he’d use my body
Not once but twice
Cornered in fear then cornered again
Trying to politely escape
They ask why I fear men
They call me sexist when I share
They say they aren’t like the others
But how can i be sure
When the men I trusted the most
Just saw me as a toy
Manners were only taught to keep the peace
So things wouldn’t escalate
Negative body image engraved
Into every little girl's mind
Because guys can't keep their
Wandering hands to themselves
We were told that boys will be boys
And that if he bullies you
That he likes you
Then they ask why we didn’t come forward
Why we didn’t have the voice to share
Though the only thing we ever learned
In and out of school
Is abuse is okay
When we do come forward all they can say
Is what were you wearing
Sure I lacked coverage the first time
But i loved my body then
I learned to cover up
Hiding what they said boys were after
Dissipating the body I once loved
Then four more times it happened
Why is this okay
Why is it that boys will be boys
Why can their wandering eyes
Become wandering hands
And why can’t I be traumatized
You asked why I don’t trust men
My answer is simple;
It’s not all men
But it is all women
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