My perspective may be askew, but I write an apology long overdue

So as I aim to encapsulate all I can from my own view,

I hope to support and not strangle,

To respect and not repel,

To promote and not protest

Those victim to abuse and for

those who are demanding it most

My only feelings originate from unforgettable relays of history,

Hoped to be forgotten, as we strive for a culture that,

Is equitable for all and prejudice to none.

As the unfair societal construction of male privilege has constituted

A gratuitous increase in safety and a lack of fear of others.

Because when night falls I don’t take notice but maybe I’m just hopeless,

That this man across the street holds my fate,

But I’ll never feel the weight until a later date, because

I am not a survivor

And I am not a woman

I can walk the same pace and don’t need to stop in front of shops, or look for cops,

I don’t need to hold keys between my knuckles or feel my knees buckle.

I don’t need any precautions, because I am not a woman.

I don’t get to know, and this, to some a blessing,

That facial features function as a force that physically,

Stops this imminent and impending danger, my sanity not endangered,

But others’ live’s taken

It may seem out of our reach, but as long as we continue to preach, together

We can start to mend the hole and repair the soul of those closest to us.

It is always in our control to console so we don’t have to condole,

Because that is when it matters most.

How do we dampen the unnecessary conversations,

but provide a megaphone to the voices we need to hear.

We must move forward as a community,

As we strive to move past what “just” is to find justice,

And as a scripture shows and as clear as a evidence can propose that,

As I sit writing this behind my desk knowing that

More than 500 woman, peers, friends, loved ones, have been assaulted today

I am no longer contempt whilst holding this in my heart

So to all the boys more concerned with their trims than women,

Stop acting like boys and be men, more importantly be human

We as a society have denied this from women, but

Remember, respect comes second, behind the contentment of others, a basic human right

We’ve learnt quiet isn’t always peace, as we journey to brave the belly of this beast

On a conquest to defeat misogyny.

As each victim has an assailant, 97% being men.

So, callout the casual comments and contradict the construal that,

Standing up for others puts yourself down.

Together we rise above others that oppose us,

and stretch beyond those that steal freedom and steal lives

It’s a simple request, you don’t have to be blessed to realise

That people are hurting, and we have the power to create change.

In the words of Poet Laureate Amanda Gormon,

The new dawn blooms as we free it.

For there is always light,

If only we’re brave enough to see it.

If only we’re brave enough to be it.