A victim's plea.

 

Torn is my heart and so is my flesh

They left nothing of me but frayed shreds.

In desperate plight I cried for aid

You offered help with law and blade.

You unveiled their guise, pried off their mask,

But left me bereft, abandoned and lost.

Lend me a hand, up, off the floor

I am left to drown - too far from shore.

Alone was I then and alone am I now

Torn from society - just like before.

Theresa.V

This week a few of my friends and I created and circulated a survey that asked people if they were ever sexually harassed(physically, verbally or via. the internet). We had only circulated it to our circle of known people: friends, all our collegemates, relatives - people we saw on a daily basis. We didn't collect any 'id' or information - ensuring that their responses were anonymous so they would be more comfortable sharing. 

And the results were harrowing! Over 45% of our responders had experienced sexual harassment in some form or the other. To put that into perspective for you: 2 out of every 5 people have been harassed. Most of them were female and about 90% knew their harasser. All of them said that their prime need at the time was someone to talk to - someone to share this with. This got me thinking of how much we don't want to report things. How much we choose to sweep under the carpet. 

I wanted to bring this to light. To let more people know the importance of 'listening' and providing nothing but your presence, comfort and ears (without a hint of judgement or blame - even if we think they need some advice - there will be time for that later). I tried my best to put their thoughts to words, the amount of seclusion and abandonment they feel.
I hope this brings to light the importance of listening and if you are one that relates to this poem, I am so sorry that you have felt this way. It was never your fault to begin with and I hope that you are able to heal in time. Stay safe.

🤍Tess