Sacred pause

The men came and killed the land

sucked the nutrients from the soil 

poisoned the wells

sealed the exits

and

slowly

replaced oxygen

with hostility

---

We had welcomed them in 

when they promised care

so we were to blame

when they hurt us

and broke things

we were to blame

when they drained our world

and stained our stories 

and strangled our laughter

we were to blame

when they turned

warm smell of home

into spine chill of danger

we were to blame

when we were snarling

and snared

bodies full of fight

bones full of fear

we were to blame

---

The men were allowed to move on 

they couldn’t be held responsible

for the devil in them

that the women weren’t meant to name

but

were meant to tame

and contain

The women were to blame

The women should’ve seen the signs

The women should’ve worn different clothes

The women should’ve fought back

The women should’ve stayed still

Male violence is never a man’s fault

The women should’ve been more wild

The women should’ve been less wild

The women should’ve spoken out

The women should’ve shut the fuck up

It was the women’s fault