For our first action project, we were told to write a poem that would “shout out” to someone. Someone we wanted to get a message to. As I have been reading a lot of feminist literature, especially books about rape culture, I really wanted to shoutout to the world about my opinions of the way we look at rape. I then wrote my poem, “To the Perpetrators”. It is meant to be about how the rape culture that we perpetuate not only hurts women, but men too. It creates a world where they are taught that this is something they cannot control, and that is not fair to any man. Below is a video of my poem being performed.
TO THE PERPETRATORS
This is for the boys
this is for the men
the ones who are taught
women are toys
and the power is them
this is not nature
for the men, who whistle at my legs
as they drive by in their steel cages
Because to leave the safety of their cars
means to face their own words
I am sorry
to the hand that grazed my butt
because his world taught him that
he had that right
and he could take control
I am sorry
the boys who are told
that they should be distracted by short skirts and low shirts
and then they are
because they must live up to what is expected
I am sorry
to the frat parties
and the late night concerts
and the “nice dates”
that turn from no? to no!
but there is not a real difference
I am sorry for all of these things
but more
I am sorry because I know
you can be so much
more
so beautiful
but all you have been taught is power
misogyny, commodity
but this is equality.
and I want to set you free.