trigger warning: sexual harrassment/assault
P.R. -
/one year before/
a narrow alleyway
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but just like the music filling my ears
they were upbeat
happy
confident
three shadows
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but just like my heartbeat
they were gaining speed
uneasiness
trepidation
a hand on my neck
fingers pulling down my dress zipper
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but just like my voice
they would not budge
lost
empty
another emerging shadow
a woman
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but i could hear
the handful of words
the woman yelled at me
/one year before/
a narrow alleyway
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but just like the music filling my ears
they were upbeat
happy
confident
three shadows
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but just like my heartbeat
they were gaining speed
uneasiness
trepidation
a hand on my neck
fingers pulling down my dress zipper
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but just like my voice
they would not budge
lost
empty
another emerging shadow
a woman
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but i could hear
the handful of words
the woman yelled at me
run, i’ll take care of this!
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but just like the tears
streaming down my cheeks
they were fast
racing
an escape
/since then/
every moment
every instance of interaction
with tall men hindered
because of my assaulters
every occasion of choosing
whether or not to wear vibrant colors
because of being assaulted in a bright pink dress
every street, every corner
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but i could feel them
numb
distraught
/now/
i am still hurting
but the difference:
i am healing
i shall not be weakened
i can finally hear my footsteps.
but just like the tears
streaming down my cheeks
they were fast
racing
an escape
/since then/
every moment
every instance of interaction
with tall men hindered
because of my assaulters
every occasion of choosing
whether or not to wear vibrant colors
because of being assaulted in a bright pink dress
every street, every corner
my footsteps i couldn't hear at all
but i could feel them
numb
distraught
/now/
i am still hurting
but the difference:
i am healing
i shall not be weakened
i can finally hear my footsteps.
illustration credit: tara o brien