Who is on trial really?
Who is it being interrogated
Put through fire
Whose background being scrutinised
Whose records being dredged?
Whose behaviour is under the spotlight?
Who is being called a liar?
Whose bar elevated higher and higher
Where are the perpetrators?
Where did they run
While the girl who reported them
never sees the sun
She hides her eyes
and looks to the ground
she is made to feel shame
while they get on with their day then
hit the town
Nobody asked them
to justify their actions
nobody checked their
medical notes since
they were three
Nobody asked them did
they hate men really?
Who is on trial really?
Who can’t sleep
since that night
who weeps for hours
and sees no end
in sight
whose relationships
were tested
to breaking point
and then some
Who never goes out
alone
At least jail time
you know
mostly
when you get out
Not only me,
my partner
my friends
our life as we knew it came to an end
we don’t have holidays
we don’t have weekends
we don’t have restful nights
we don’t sleep
we don’t get time out
we don’t get
not to fight
we don’t get to
see the light
we don’t get to do
nine to five
we don’t get to clock off at night
we long ago
lost our appetite
we don’t breathe easy
we hold on tight
and every time
consider letting go
of life
we wonder
what will be left of us
©GS
GIRL SURVIVOR 