It Means Equality

Listen to women. 
Believe women.
It doesn't mean
blindly
it means
a man's words
are equal to 
a woman's words.

It means 
consider 
her health
her wellbeing
as much as you 
consider 
his reputation
his hard work.

Consider 
her strength
her struggle to stand 
her shaken speech
her "I can do this " 
"My voice matters. We matter."

as much as you consider 
his shock
his victim cry
his ruined life
his "I'm a nice guy"
"Not all men. It's not fair"

Consider this:
both men and women
are capable of lying
but only one of them 
is painted "liar."

Both men and women
seek attention
but only one 
is labeled "attention seeker."

These are human behaviors
renamed female.
The paint brush strokes,
the finger points
only when 
a woman's truth
threatens the comfort of
a man

as one becomes all
and they bind together to 
shut her up,

"Silence.
Get back in line."

Both men and women 
have a place in this world 
but only one of them 
is held down 
and pressured to stay there.

Only one is encouraged to live up to 
their full potential
And it is seen as the most violent crime 
if his chance is ever 
pilfered away
by the dreaded 
accountability 
in the form of an unruly, nasty woman 
who clawed herself out
of her place.

She screamed, 
"Should he always have another chance!?"
But her scream was drowned out by 
his tears.

Men are born with unlimited chances.
We say nothing. 
We keep quiet, as we're told.

Until another one of us
bellows,
"Enough!
You are out of chances."
though, she knows he'll inevetibly recieve 
another.
Still, she must take her chance
to speak.

One chance.
How many chances are women born with?
Trick question.
Zero. 
We have to earn a chance. 
We sing and dance and 
jump through all the hoops.
We put our everything
into this performance
for it to be picked apart
before we even begin. 

Often
the extra chances we grant men
are chances that are stolen from 
the women who are violated by them.

Trauma attacks.
Her potential suffers
in the name of 
giving him another shot
because its such a shame
to waste 
his
potential.

Consider it. 
I dare you,
I beg you,
to consider her 
potential.

Consider this:
Ask yourself 
why? 

Why consider 
his story 
before hers?
Why is he
easier to believe?

Believe women.
Not blindly. 
Not automatically,
It means listen. 
Consider. 

Consider her voice
instead of defaulting 
your ears 
to him.

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