poem: "Katy Perry"

[alexseanchai]

A recent post at The Slacktiverse inspired poetry. For the first time in ten or fifteen years, I warn you. Also, trigger warning, rape culture.

if I had the nerve
and if a couple more things
I'd ask a coworker to change her ring tone
it's Katy Perry
"wanna be your victim
"ready for abduction"
and it always makes me think
'rape' in Latin is an order to 'seize'
to abduct
same root as 'rapture'
rapió rapere rapuí raptum
this is what men think women want
to be seized, to be raptured
or what men want women to want
which might be the same thing
this is rape culture

if I had the nerve
and if a few more things
I'd wear a bikini
like Katy Perry
"California girls, we're unforgettable
"Daisy Dukes, bikinis on top"
and I have to think
I'm not that kind of girl
much too shy
don't want them to look
not that they do
I'm not pretty
no cleavage to speak of
but if I did then they would
this is what men think women want
to be seen, to be leered at
or what men want women to want
which might be the same thing
this is rape culture

if I had the nerve
and if a lot more things
I'd go out clubbing
to Katy Perry
"'cause baby you're a firework
"come on show them what you're worth"
but I have to think
I need to tell my parents where I'll be
to be safe
covering my glass
in case of jackasses with rohypnol
(used in less than one percent of reported cases of date rape)
('less than one percent' is greater than zero)
this is what men do
to get laid, to 'tap that ass'
or out of fear of rejection
which might be the same thing
this is rape culture

if I had the nerve
and if a hundred more things
I'd go out on my own
like Katy Perry
"it's not what good girls do
"not how they should behave"
and I usually think
I'm a good girl
not at risk
except every woman is
I don't go meet strangers
I don't know self-defense
this is what men do
to vulnerable women
or out of fear of rejection
which might be the same thing
this is rape culture

if I had the nerve
and if a thousand more things
I'd throw a party
like Katy Perry
"there's a stranger in my bed
"there's a pounding in my head"
and I often think
that combination
was she raped?
'her own fault for inviting strangers in'
or some such bullshit
this is what men do
when women cannot stop them
or out of fear of rejection
which might be the same thing
this is rape culture

I'm not a survivor
but I could be
this is rape culture

Comments

[alexseanchai]

*blush*