Some time ago I came across a poem by a young woman named Fortesa Latifi. Her work stunned me, and helped open my eyes to the necessity of using your voice. The following piece is titled Boys Will Be Boys (And Why That Is The Stupidest Thing You Could Ever Say To A Little Girl):
when she was 7, a boy pushed her on the playground
she fell headfirst into the dirt and came up with a mouthful of gravel and lines of blood chasing each
other down her legs
when she told her teacher what happened, she laughed and said ‘boys will be boys honey don’t let it bother you
he probably just thinks you’re cute’
she fell headfirst into the dirt and came up with a mouthful of gravel and lines of blood chasing each
other down her legs
when she told her teacher what happened, she laughed and said ‘boys will be boys honey don’t let it bother you
he probably just thinks you’re cute’
but the thing is,
when you tell a little girl who has rocks in her teeth and scabs on her knees that hurt and attention are the same
you teach her that boys show their affection through aggression
and she grows into a young woman who constantly mistakes the two
because no one ever taught her the difference
‘boys will be boys’
turns into
‘that’s how he shows his love’
and bruises start to feel like the imprint of lips
she goes to school with a busted mouth in high school and says she was hit with a basketball instead of his fist
the one adult she tells scolds her
‘you know he loses his temper easily
why the hell did you have to provoke him?’
so she shrinks
folds into herself, flinches every time a man raises his voice
by the time she’s 16 she’s learned her job well
be quiet, be soft, be easy
don’t give him a reason
but for all her efforts, he still finds one
‘boys will be boys’ rings in her head
‘boys will be boys
he doesn’t mean it
he can’t help it’
she’s 7 years old on the playground again
with a mouth full of rocks and blood that tastes like copper love
because boys will be boys baby don’t you know
that’s just how he shows he cares
she’s 18 now and they’re drunk
in the split second it takes for her words to enter his ears they’re ruined
like a glass heirloom being dropped between the hands of generations
she meant them to open his arms but they curl his fists and suddenly his hands are on her and her head hits the wall and all of the goddamn words in the world couldn’t save them in this moment
she touches the bruise the next day
boys will be boys
aggression, affection, violence, love
how does she separate them when she learned so early that they’re inextricably bound, tangled in a constant tug-of-war
she draws tally marks on her walls ratios of kisses to bruises
one entire side of her bedroom turns purple, one entire side of her body
boys will be boys will be boys will be boys
when she’s 20, a boy touches her hips and she jumps
he asks her who the hell taught her to be scared like that and she wants to laugh
doesn’t he know that boys will be boys?
it took her 13 years to unlearn that lesson from the playground
so I guess what I’m trying to say is
i will talk until my voice is hoarse
so that my little sister understands
that aggression and affection are two entirely separate things
so that my little sister understands
that aggression and affection are two entirely separate things
baby they exist in difference universes
my niece can’t even speak yet but I think I’ll start with her now
don’t ever accept the excuse that boys will be boys
don’t ever let him put his hands on you like that
if you see hate blazing in his eyes don’t you ever confuse it with love
baby love won’t hurt when it comes
you won’t have to hide it under long sleeves during the summer
and
the only reason he should ever reach out his hand
is to hold yours
* * *
Did you know that one in three women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence—mostly by an intimate partner? Violence against women, whether physical, sexual, or psychological, can happen to anyone, and there is no specific demographic of victims or survivors. All races, religions, income and education levels are susceptible to violence and abuse. For a glimpse at what violence against women looks like worldwide, watch One Billion Rising's phenomenal video here (it's jarring, so I do advise a trigger warning for survivors of trauma).
Take some time to educate yourself and those you love about this global pandemic here, and if you or someone you know may be in an abusive relationship, visit here or call 1-800-799-SAFE.
Editor's note: A reader brought to my attention the importance of applying this advice and learning not only to women and girls, but to men and boys as well. So often we place responsibility on a single gender or identity, as if it was solely theirs to respond to. Both women and girls, men and boys must understand there is no excuse for violence. Consider an expanded version of the title of Latifi's poem as you ponder its message and implications: Boys Will Be Boys (And Why That Is The Stupidest Thing You Could Ever Say To A Little Girl Or Boy). Thank you reader!
Editor's note: A reader brought to my attention the importance of applying this advice and learning not only to women and girls, but to men and boys as well. So often we place responsibility on a single gender or identity, as if it was solely theirs to respond to. Both women and girls, men and boys must understand there is no excuse for violence. Consider an expanded version of the title of Latifi's poem as you ponder its message and implications: Boys Will Be Boys (And Why That Is The Stupidest Thing You Could Ever Say To A Little Girl Or Boy). Thank you reader!
(Image by Olga Inoue)
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