Winning Time

First Divorce

Two Year Old

Ex was a Cop, but stole your best friend.

This was not the end.

 

Terrorized your new family

Pulled over, harassed at every stop

Grocery shopping was more like a weekly interrogation ending with a treat,

    "For being so quiet and staying so sweet.

    Apples and oranges are OK.

    No papayas from now on.

    He'll get his in good time.

    Now, let's just move on."

 

And he did, didn't he.

Flipped that car, high speeds.

Like I am sure falling in love with that kind of man must be.

It wasn't just him though

I don't remember where y'all had to go,

but it was just Kyle and me in that single-wide mobile-home.

What were we doing that day?

Before they showed up banging on every door and window. Walls, Tin, felt it,

cave in; maybe a part of me is still there.

Sirens on, lights flashing. Who were these men, in uniform, making demands, in aggressive stance.

We had been playing on the floor with Hot Wheels and Tonka trucks, that's right, that's how it had began. In his room, when we first heard them coming up. I peeked out, it was only us and one other house at the end of this drive and as we saw them circle our home we ran under my bed to hide.

The only sanctuary I could think of.

As we hid in the clear, I was wondering why on earth the police were there, my little brother, crying, asked me why his dad was causing us so much fear. I was speechless. I still am. I am sorry for all that has happened. I am sorry our fight for justice never really began.

Everything really did just happen so fast. It was night, in gown, and before too long it was your ass calling the cops on my dad; and now those men were in my room while I sat at the edge of the bed trembling, "again, I tried my best to answer your questions, I don't know what happened, I was sleeping before you barged in. Their shit, is between them!"

But as I was soon to discover, my words would never mean anything to them.

flashForward - 16 - my roommate convinced me to report my rape; 36 in 7 months, still waiting on that court date.

In the land of the free and the home of the brave we speak our truths; and I've heard about those rape kits stacking up. Where’s the crime if there’s no punishment.

People left to face their abusers every day; it gets fucking rough;

and you know what, being deaf wouldn't even be a valid excuse

we all know what Helen Keller was able to do.

It almost feels like you're ignoring us.

And I worry based on my life experience.

What other families do you have in the Hot Seat that’s taking time away from being able to tackle these repeats; threepeats.

I worry that you can't see how your actions still have an effect on me.

Deliver me to the promised land. Where our liberty, and justice, is guaranteed.

Where I can be at peace.

A place where pursuits of happiness are dreams coming true and not a green screen tackling fake news. Killing TIME news stories cost you, Strange Fruit; you got us learning how to make boots. We strapped up and it's the winner’s news.