Author: Amy Jay Schoenwald
Location: San Francisco, California

Amy Jay Schoenwald is a poet, educator, and activist who believes in the transformational power of poetry as a tool of expression and resistance. Her blog can be found at http://anotherdayenu.blogspot.com.

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15th & S. Van Ness

Almost home.
    home safe.
    almost.
then the always anticipated
    "heyyy baby," "ooohh, mama," and
        he touches me.
        it only lasts a second and it's slight but
now my skin burns with rage
        at violation.
I do not want to be a victim,
but I can't imagine
a walk 5 blocks
without the moment where every muscle in my body tightens,
                        neck grows tense,
                        jaw grows clenched,
                and I bite the left corner of my lip,
           
instinctively holding my mouth closed with my teeth,
   
like somewhere inside,
    behind the screams,
    beaneath the guise of
                militant feminist
                rape crisis counselor
                fighting for liberation,
    somewhere beneath
    sometime before
    all that
        I remember being told
        I better stay silent.

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