#MeToo

I thought I was alone.

A woman.

My truth.

Against the world.

It was dirty.

It felt wrong.

It happened when words like sexual abuse, harassment and violation were unknown.

It happened when those words were known.

It happened once.

It happened twice.

It happened many, many more times.

Shame. Regret. Blame.

Disappearing innocence.

Putting on an act.

I thought it was my fault.

Now I know.

I am not alone.

Groped. Violated.

Raped. Harrassed.

Through words. Through eyes.

Through touch.

Made to feel unworthy.

Why do we speak now?

Because when we speak, we are not believed.

We are not heard.

We are not supported.

We are not defended.

Because we are lying.

Because our truth is not good enough.

Because they are powerful.

Because they have done good for people and so they couldn’t have done this.

My truth against a reputation built.

Today, we speak.

Today, we are silenced.

Today, we are judged.

Today, there is empathy.

Today.

We feel all the hurt, pain and disgust again.

You see, we never really stop living that moment.

It becomes a part of us.

It starts defining us.

The way we walk, the way we talk.

What we wear.

It haunts us.

In moments of love.

In crowds.

In loneliness.

In silence.

Not today. Not now.

We stay strong.

We love. We live.

We don’t say it all.

We can’t say it all.

Together, we stand tall.

Together, we write. We share.

We say #MeToo.