I will not be silent
I will not maintain the peace
I will say the ugly words
out loud and
I will not flinch
Murder
Rape
Incest
Stalking
Harassment
Discrimination
Domestic Violence
Mansplaining
discounted simply because we are women
to find our voices as women
to speak our truth
is a revolutionary act
that says that your voice
her voice
their voices
my voice
matter
count
have weight
deserve to be heard
are valid
if my refusal to be silent
makes me a bitch
a shrew
a ball-breaker
I will be loudest damn
badass bitch
that I can be
silence leaves us to blame ourselves in isolation
silence benefits only those who have hurt us
silence has been the noose around my neck
the soul ache of my pent-up screams of rage
every 13th story window I have considered walking out of

how fucked up is that?!

© 2017 Christine Elizabeth Ray – All Rights Reserved