Papercuts

By: Peyton Moore and Lua Varner

 

Black ink

Carefully stenciled onto

Thin yellow paper

News headlines

We read desperate for a difference

In news

 

“Not one more story” she screams

Cause one more means

another man to be afraid of

Another woman caught against her will

Another newspaper writing the same story

After story

 

Constantly I wonder if the next story will be mine

You see,

1 in 3 women encounter a man

Unprepared for plans that he stands for

And, while getting sexually assaulted

Is nobodies plan so,

 

Why do I keep seeing these headlines?

Headline after headline

 

You

think I’m handed to you on a silver platter

My misery not rationalized

You

commit to defy

Treason

Objectifying my

 

Heart like a sea of flames

Burning till I’ve charcoalized

My insides

 

No, not silver.

Gold -

En State killer

Tarnished California hearts

Stealing gold n silver

souvenirs

Disregard my tears

 

His job was to protect

Instead he objectified woman after woman

After woman after woman

 

His life

Turned into a life of greed

His first victim

Attacked in the 70’s

She hasn’t forgotten

Please

Hear our voices.

 

If You can’t provide

The protection we’re needing

Why cant you start retreating

like we retreat

From you

Because you keep succeeding

 

Exceedingly slowly

This movement has risen

Times Up hasn’t taken its toll

Avoid the Harvey Weinstein’s of the world

 

James Franco

Larry Nassar

Bill Cosby

Robin Thicke

Name after name

 

But how to escape from the inevitable

Plans that they stand for

I don't want to be reduced to a news headline

 

But fear engulfs my

Naïve

Brain crumbling into gray dust

Only the

Crowned king of direction

A,

 

Loving father, but a monster

He says “I will ruin your career if you don’t do as I say.”

He says “I will kill you, don’t think I can’t”

her suffering won’t end after the night that it happens

Your words burn into her like scorching black coffee

 

Her tears hot,

Salty

flood to the floor.

Your

Faulty immaturity

bouncing off her

skin

melts into wax

Blacks out history

A

hopes for her future

Pass

 

You never stopped to think that this might ruin her life

Like it should ruin yours

 

Salma Hayek

Cara Delevingne

Angelina Jolie

Aly Raisman

Victim after victim

 

No other woman should have to say “me too” again

 

It’s just another empty headline to you

But it’s her story

Her monster

Her Assaulter

Her

liar

 

We are here to face you

you can see she has regained her strength

She is no longer a victim

But a survivor

 

Survivor after survivor

Warning signs

Cascade down

Fiery rooftops

She’d never be lying

If she came out as

A raped woman

 

But the tables have turned

We have found our voices

Now it’s time for you to listen

 

Don’t domesticate us

we’re not animals

Baby check your nature

Oh, and don’t call me baby

 

Hotel rooms are not offices

Don’t omit the assault you committed

Because who would lie about something so,

 

This is not a moment

It’s her movement

Why don’t I see raging hunger inside

Our eyes for improvement

 

If there's any misconception

Read between blurred lines

And redirect your

perception personified

 

Paper cuts pry

Ugly words from pages

blood seeping through

The roots of our history

Stages filled with womens

Stories

The sky shaded with

black ravens

 

One for every woman

With a story

 

Highlighted auburn waves

She picks up a trashed newspaper

Dated October fifth, 2017

Redlined lips gawking

As the ink she reads

Fades

Headline after headline

Shimmering copper brown eyes widen

Turning to grey

Dimming at the sight

Headline after headline

Glass half full heart

Dropping

Headline after headline