Breaking the Silence on Sexual Violence

A close friend and I have been on a jogging kick-exercising 2-3 times a week--running approximately 3 miles. In order to celebrate our success (We can finally run 3 miles straight without feeling woozy or dazed), we decided to run a Take Back the Night 5k. The 5k, sponsored by The Memphis Sexual Assault Resource Center, was to raise funds to help victims of sexual assault/rape. Unfortunately we did not get to run this 5k as the race was scheduled for a Friday night and we both were too exhausted to even think about jogging at the end of a 40 hour work week.

Since we didn't get to support the victims I am posting a poem that deals with the issue of abuse in its various forms. As you read it, please commit to speaking out against sexual violence and help those who are struggling to get out of these damaging relationships. Let us not pass judgment, but kindness and compassion. Let us not speak words of condemnation but words of ecouragement. Let us not remain silent in the face of injustice. For silence too closely resembles consent.

There Will Be Silence

The destruction of our mother
at the hands of another is a thing
we whisper about late nights on the phone.
But when my sister comes home from college
there will be silence complete as the grave.

We will say nothing about the bruises:
the bandage on her wrist, the circle near her eye.
We will say nothing because there are no words for this.
Anger is too weak. Hate takes too much energy.
We have none; we have spent ours being silent.