We whispered
We shared stories about him. And him. And him
He’s creepy
He tried to kiss me
He did kiss me
He grabbed my….
In the elevator. In his office. In the car. In the hall on the way to…..
Before she could react, he was on top of her. On her. In her
She said no
Why must you ask if she said no?
Of course she said no
He did it anyway
We sat in the car and cried together
Tear soaked tissues on the floor of the car
More whispers
Warnings
Don’t go out with him
Don’t take the elevator with him
Don’t travel with him
Take a different flight
Stay in a different hotel
Don’t get in his car
Hold your keys between your fingers
Don’t go in his office
If you must, leave the door open. And make sure others are around
What ever you do
Don’t be alone with him
Ever
I’ll walk with you
To your car. To your room. To where ever
Come in. Have some tea. Wait until he leaves
Sleep on my couch. On my floor. In my bed
More whispers
We couldn’t always protect her
Sometimes he got what he wanted
Sometimes he got what he thought he deserved
What he thought was rightfully his
It wasn’t his
It was never his
It was hers
We’re tired of whispering
We’re tired of silently warning her
We’re not whispering anymore
We’re angry
We’ve always been angry
But now we’re speaking. And shouting. And sharing
We need you
To be angry with us
To believe her. And her and her
We need your voice
Shout with us
No more whispering
We’re tired of whispering
– Anne
5summers 