I stood outside of the door.
I was too scared to scream.
Too scared to do anything.
In that moment of fear,
I just sat on the stairs
and begged for the earth to open up and swallow me.

The bruises on your arms were the color of lilac.
They looked like abstract tapestries.
I wasn't aware of my power then to scream,
to put an end to anything.

You walk to your car.
Keys clenched in your hand,
you walk as fast as you can.
There are monsters in the streets
and they're baring their teeth.

And nobody believes you
when you repeat those things they say.
And boys will be boys
until these boys are conditioned into violent, deadly machines.

They'll try to take what they want,
be it your undeserved attention or teeth spread out on the pavement.
They are afraid of what they can't take away,
your right to be what you are without their permission.

The bruises on my arms were the color of lilac.
They looked like abstract tapestries.
But I am aware of my power now to scream, to change everything
to bring death to our enemies.

Death to our enemies.