https://soundcloud.com/corinna-delgado/apology-poem
I'm in the back of the room at the Poetry spot
and I thought ... "Not another Rape Poem"
Aghast,
I took the thought back
tried to
swallow down brain vomit
appalled at all that
I'd become.
In every three women ... there WILL be one
who's very spirit is violated beyond the shred of recognition.
ONE who's ambition |
of feeling fully comfortable in her own skin.is | twisted
into a mangled vision
ONE who will find the COURAGE to give that violation voice
ONE who'll refuse to be silent in the dark and deafening noise
that is rape ...
and all the permissive culture that surrounds it.
Astounded
disgusted with myself, I chided.
Who the fuck am I?
SomeONE who's fended off the uninvited
SomeONE who experienced this VERY encounter and survived it
Part of the sisterhood that finds absolution when they write it.
I quieted | my self scolding and chose to ask myself "Why?"
and my "because" made me sick.
Because we no longer flinch at the thought of disrespect.
Because we bob our necks
to melodic misogyny as long as the bass line comes correct.
Because I honestly saw no harm in "I know you want it" being crooned by Robin Thicke ...
Because EVEN I
get starry eyed at starlets with their impossible measurements of 40/20/46 ...
double D's on facebook and IG ... I double tap, clap, and click.
BUT THIS
This is not a "Rape Poem"
This is a "How much more can I take?" poem.
This is a "There's so much ASS in my face" poem
That I'm squatting & cuttin' my caloric intake poem.
This is a "how can I compare when your care less about my third eye than you do my thighs" poem.
This is a "Is that why I"m sleeping alone tonight?" ...
poem.
No, America the BEAUTIFUL ... this is not a rape poem.
This is "My nerves have become SO numb ...
that the thought of RAPE doesn't even give me goose bumps"
This is "statistics so vicious you can't run from ... "
I have 3 nieces ... in every three women there will be ONE" poem.
... this is a "what about my son" poem.
This -
This is to all 6 brave voices that took the stage and had the intestinal fortitude to rip open their chest and bleed violation on the mic ...
for every voice that quivered anguish in reliving & empowering themselves taking ownership in the healing tonight ...
This ...
This is very much an Apology Poem.
Do not be dissuaded because we hear the story too much.
Remember ... silence is the enemy of all that is just.
C.Delgado
