Shame On You

“Drunk. Hot. Easy. A cocktease….“
No. Fuck that. Fuck them.
Do not bathe in the steam rising off sordid pools they lured you into,
those filled with twisted recollections of reality.
Coveting your butterfly touch and those sexy, soft eyes
as coat hooks on which to hang their cloaks of culpability.
Turning away from your pain now, should they be betrayed
by their wanton glances, momentarily reflecting the misery of truth.
Fight their ensnaring lies, with deception sticking like feathers
in the tar of these torrid tales they tell.
Your little-girl-lost spirit inhaling a shaky, deep breath,
before bravely fending off cheap judgements born in dark rooms
where ugly flesh and thick hands, roamed your body, invading, oblivious.
Unwanted intrusions while you stifled your silent gasps and searing tears.
After, they sauntered away, absolved of blame, evading your crushed worth,
basking in power and arrogant lust, as if sex is their wretched entitlement.
No.  Do not let them leave their filth and shame on you.

 

“Amiato, Banska Bystrica, 2011”by Tomas Forgac is licensed under CC PDM 1.0

Written by 

Judith Staff’s background is in teaching and early years education. She still teaches occasionally, though now her main focus is in child welfare and safeguarding children. Her work includes delivering training, presenting at conferences, and engaging in collaborative projects with schools around child abuse awareness and sexual violence prevention. She enjoys writing blogs and poetry on topics she feels passionate about. Judith loves running, gym classes and karate. She is married to an art lecturer and they live in Northamptonshire, England with their three free-spirited children, a 12- year-old son, and daughters aged 11 and 9.

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One thought on “Shame On You

  1. Very raw indeed. Unsettling as the words jumped out at me.
    Will need time to digest.
    It hit home for young teens faced with so many situations/so many decisions.
    This poem would shed light for teen awareness.
    Would be great to have a discussion with a teen group.
    Listening/longing to fit in/choices./action.

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