⚠️ Content/Trigger Warning: assault, bullying, harassment

shouldn’t have to make him publicly apologize
for threatening to squeeze my breast

shouldn’t have to pencil stab his head
to stop his ogling my chest

but I did

shouldn’t have to slap his face 
to stop his fingers snapping at me

but at 12-, 13-, 14- years-old 

I did

©️poem by Darlene (BonjourDarlene.com)

back of woman wearing white shirt with arm around girl wearing yellow shirt
protecting our young ©️photo by my husband

Bonjour ! I’ll continue to write about my favorite French-inspired things, as well as books, chocolate, music, movies, and postcards, but to change things up a bit, I will also share a 50-word poem each day in the month of January!

These micro-poems are based on personal observations, pesky intrusive thoughts, and general anxiety about getting older.

This poem is about harassment I experienced when I was a young teen.

While I regret my choice to physically fight back, I don’t regret standing up for myself.

Everyone deserves to feel safe and have their bodies and boundaries respected.

If you witness or experience bullying or harassment, remember it’s not your fault, so please speak up. You can help stop unwanted attention, comments, gestures, and touching.

Let’s keep talking about its harmful effects, not only because AI is being used to harass Taylor Swift (which is not cool either, by the way!) Ugh. 😒

Thanks for reading!

This poem is from my poem-a-day series (January 2024).