If I was stalked                                       
And then molested
When I was
Eleven years old
Molested
By a neighborhood boy
Is it okay for me to say
ME TOO
Am I a member of the club?
Do I present
With proper qualifications?

That neighborhood boy
He wasn’t my boss
I had no career to protect
Only my sanity stained
Only the promise
Of a normal life blunted
My destiny bruised
I could not sleep
I could not think
I told no one
My parents were perplexed

I was molested
And I was eleven
Does that mean that
I must say ME TOO
In a soft voice?
A small voice
For a Small girl
Will my cry be subdued
By the power of the big girls

That night
So many years ago
And yet
I still can hear him say
I’l kill you
If you ever tell
Such a terrible secret
For a little girl

The images
They never leave
In darkness
In daylight
The shock
It lives
For the rest of forever
“His” foot print still on my neck
Begging the questions
Who will pay attention to
A damaged little girl?
Who will say her name
If “HE” was not famous
Who will say her name
If “HE” was not wealthy enough
To be shamed

Who will believe her
If “HE” was a neighbor
A grandfather
A teacher
A doctor
A pastor
Or a Pimp

Who will take all
Of the MILLIONS
Of damaged girls and boys
Out of the shadows
Include them
Listen to their stories
Till they feel safe enough to say
ME TOO !

Don’t Forget About The Children

Epilogue

Yes MILLIONS: Look it up!