Why didn't you fight back, they say.Why didn't you scream?Why didn't you run?You must have wanted it, they say.You must have secretly liked it.Otherwise, you would have fought. But what they don't realizeIs thisStress chemicals in your brainShut down your thinking part of your brain,They shut down escape routes and rational thoughtSo you basically just freeze. You can barely even talkLet alone screamNo way to pitch up the fight.Why didn't you tell anyone, they say.Why did you leave yourself alone?Why did you hold it all inside?It's because we don't trust you It's because we believe that you won't believe usThat we're telling the truthThat we're more than our youth would implyIt's because the rape culture of our worldImplies that we did something to cause this,To bring it upon ourselves, Whether it's the slutty clothes we obviously woreOr the drinks we so damningly left behindWhether it's the fact that we trusted human decencyEnough to believe they would never treat us like thatWe really don't want to hear that it was our faultNobody wants to hear that But in our case ITS TRUEWhy did you tell me, they thinkDid you really think we could do anything now?Did you really think it would make a difference?No, but me telling my storyMe showing you my painMe telling you what happened and where and what I believe about myself nowAnd who he was, how close to me he was,Telling you all about itIs my way of fighting back nowAs I raise myself up from the rose thorns Toward the roseAs I raise myself up above the lies and the hate and the painIs my way of fighting backMaking sure I stop it from happening to othersMaking sure they know that they're not aloneWEARENOTALONENever alone anymore, that's meThat's meBringing the victory to meBringing the chaos to him and her and all of themBringing the peace to myself and all of us survivorsBringing the love and joy back to my lifeAnd I fight back now