Mathematical Proof -

Out of every 1000 instances of rape, only 13 cases get referred to a prosecutor, and only 7 cases
will lead to a felony conviction.
rainn.org

maybe you’d understand consent

if it was an elementary math lesson

Insist:

no plus no plus no plus no plus no plus no plus no plus no plus no plus no plus no

plus fine plus yes plus just please shut up and stop asking

equals no

Revoke:

yes plus no plus no plus no

equals no

this is me

this is everything i have and know

that i could’ve given you

you chose to steal instead of receive

before i even had the chance to give

yet somehow

there is no acknowledging the equation

there is no mathematical proof

when the classroom becomes a courtroom

instructing the art of justice evasion:

The plea bargain.

Weird Barbie

She was born

not in terrestrial paradise
but in a factory
She was born
not from a rib of bone
but from a thermo machine

She sleeps

as a doll sleeps

one eye open

vacant irises absorbing what little light

has traveled through the dark

She sleeps

one eye open

Prepared to say no

to overgrown little boys

who’ve never heard the word before

with one eye half open She is ready

for the acidic burn

of sharpie scribbled on

by those ignorant to what’s inside

with one eye wide open She is ready

for the next time She’s played with

A little too roughly

“Silence Is Most Appreciated in the Church”

In 2005, both of my previously-devout Catholic parents were escorted from the

church they attended regularly for years. My mother, my father, my sisters and I have

not been to any sort of church since.

In the middle of the week, shortly after the leaders of the church informed its

members that Father Tim would be taking a sabbatical, my parents stumbled upon his

mugshot plastered onto the television. A news station from the Denver area reported on

his unspeakable crimes against children, who he was able to abuse with his power

within the church. The news story explained how the priest’s rare conviction was a

result of outspoken cases against him from his employment at other churches in

Colorado, previous to his leadership in the Fort Collins area.

My mother recalls the downfall of her devotion to the Catholic Church, a religious

experience in and of itself. She recalls driving to the church, spotting a cloud in the

shape of a thumbs-up on the blue horizon, and taking it as a universal sign that her

intentions to publicly denounce the actions of the church were not only justifiable but

morally crucial.

When she arrived at Sunday morning mass, she stood up in front of anyone and uttered

the exact words the leaders were trying so hard to silence:

“Father Tim is a pedophile, and our church leaders are lying to protect him.”

She was asked to leave, and was escorted from the premises when she refused

to willingly do so.
 My father experienced a less mystical awakening, in the form of what he refers to

as “righteous anger”. He knew that, in order to inform as many members of the church

as possible, he needed to attend evening mass. Just hours after my mother was kicked

out of morning mass, my father was escorted out of the church.

I intend to focus on activist literature that discusses this topic because I feel extremely

lucky to have parents who were life-falteringly horrified by the news of their former

priest’s crimes. I feel extremely lucky to have parents who advocated for the victims and

the truth, when religious leaders made obvious attempts to conceal this information, for

the sake of protecting a violent perpetrator.

I intend to focus on activist literature that discusses this topic because I feel

extremely lucky to have parents who were life-falteringly horrified by the news of their

former priest’s crimes. I feel extremely lucky to have parents who advocated for the

victims and the truth, when religious leaders made obvious attempts to conceal this

information, for the sake of protecting a violent perpetrator.