Traumaversary

Six years later,
and you say it’s changed
Society has moved forward,
yet it’s still the victim’s they blame
The loss, the fear, the pain still resides
His face, whispers, and threatening grin
It all can come back when I close my eyes
A hell I can easily get thrown back in
Sometimes I still see bruises
On my arms and on my thighs
Told I should get over it
I’ve tried to blind myself many times
Reporting, DNA swabs, and terror I faced
An act of bravery? Lucky they say?
How can you say that?
When they let him get away
They say the paperwork was “lost”
I know what that means
The system only protects
So the perpetrator can run free
How is that fair?
When the damage he created
Is lifelong, brain-changing
Their reaction is sadly anticipated
If they could only see
The lifelong stain
PTSD, an autoimmune disease
The cognitive problems that still remain
Yea, they tell me it’s better now,
I simply do not see,
When they yell and scream “me too”
Yet still blame those who urge for a plea
It doesn’t seem to matter
For them it’s about silence
Why should they care?
It’s a world full of violence
The message is clear
You should’ve known better
It’s your fault, my dear
Run and hide, they can’t help you here
You should know by now,
It’s about what you wear
Your consent doesn’t matter
You made them stop and stare
You say we should have known?
Maybe you should protect
We can’t always anticipate
When we’re grabbed by the neck
From all I’ve learned
The story they tell is wrong
It’s them who are weak
And survivors are brave and strong
It’s time to end the narrative they play
Survivors are among us
And we are overcoming silence
Each and every day