‘Told You, Don’t Leave Home After It Gets Dark…’

A hard-hitting poem about women's freedom & sexual assault...

 

‘Told You, Don’t Leave Home After It Gets Dark…’

Sneering wolves
Emerging out of darkness
Faces you never saw, voices you don’t recognize

Pushing your way back into your house
Because streets are for men
Women walk on them only during the day

What was the crime?
And back into the house, but where was home?
Access to someone’s body is access to their soul, to their home
but this was theft!
To be punished with theft
To be punished by theft, of theft,
To be punished after theft.

A faint voice reminds me
“Told you, don’t leave home after it gets dark”
“I never leave home alone, my folks don’t allow”
“It is not right to talk to boys”
“Too much make up gives wrong signs”
“Not in our culture”
“You should be quiet and must cooperate”
“Forget that it happened, and move on”
“All your and your family’s fault”

Reminders…
Constant reminders…

Of being punished with theft,
Of theft,
By theft,
After the theft,
Over and over again.

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A few days later, I hear, a little girl’s home was ransacked,
This time during the day, at her own house.

 

Image Source: Still from the Movie Pink

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About the Author

Chaitanya Srishti

Mostly writing, other times painting. Here to celebrate little wins. I am on the same page as you, just a different book - you read mine, I'll read yours. read more...

33 Posts | 54,354 Views

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