I walked home alone a few days ago and couldn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. So I wrote this poem about my experience

Plumeria@beehaw.org to Feminism@beehaw.org – 39 points –

I don't know if content like this is welcome here. I thought that probably many here can relate and I needed to vent. But I don't want to spam the community with something it wasn't intended for, so please feel free to tell me if this doesn't fit here and I'll delete the post.

I really love being outside at night and I would love to go for walks after dark. But when I'm alone outside at night, like a few days ago, I often get very tense and can't enjoy it as much as I want to. It's partly because of bad experiences and I guess partly because everyone always tells women how dangerous it is (not completely unjustified of course). I hate it and it makes me really sad sometimes. So I vented my feelings by writing this poem:

I want to walk the streets at night.
I don’t want to be told to hide --
To be careful -- not to risk
Walking solo, even brisk.

I want to see the stars shine bright,
Watch the day’s slow-fading light.
Not to glance with every step
If there’s someone at my back.

I want to smell the flowers sweet
In the night air by the street;
Not the beer-breath and the sweat
Of a slow-approaching threat.

I want to hear the crickets chirp,
Not the hooting of some twerp,
Cat-calls, jeers, a “compliment”
Which make me feel so impotent.

I want to feel alone and free,
The night’s invigorating breeze.
Not fear that if I’m not alert,
I’ll get grabbed and I’ll get hurt.

Feel free to share your own thoughts and experiences in the comments or vent a bit with me!

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I like your poem. Not sure if it is intentional, but I read the first two lines of each stanza slower and the second two lines faster. Slow, slow, fast fast. The slow lines are talking about relaxing outside alone, the fast lines are about the reality of it.

I had a pattern like that in my head when I wrote it and I'm glad to read that it came across that way.

Though I messed up in the "hear" stanza. I like to pretend it symbolises the reality catching up and leaving no room for relaxation. But I really just couldn't think of a rhyme for "chirp" 😂

I looked after my friends huge German Shepherd for a few months, one of my favourite things was walking at night without worrying. I'd be out and men would cross the street to avoid him, even the really dodgy looking ones with the hoods up. I could take the shortcut down the alley or walk in the park.

I don't have the lifestyle for a big scary dog, but that feeling just for a bit was amazing.

I get it, it really sounds amazing to feel free to do that and not worried for once.
Unfortunately I'm very much not a dog person, especially not a big dog person.

It's less the dog thing, more that it's a pain that we can't do that normally. Like that's what guys can do all the time, just not think about it.

Yes! That's what made me write the poem. It's so unfair. Sometimes I get really angry about it and sometimes just sad.

Thanks for posting! I like this poem.

When I was young I used to spend a lot of time alone in the city at night but I was always sneaking around and would even sniff the air to see if I could smell anyone coming. So that bit about the sweat really resonated with me.

This is amazing. I would like to see more user-generated content and discussion in this community, so yes, it's very welcome indeed, though I'm so sorry that your poem rings true for me and probably for most women.