Poem: Street Harassment Simplified

This poem is by Niz (@NotASquib), a 21-year-old vegetarian university student studying French, from England. It was originally posted at DeviantArt and she’s given me permission to post it here.

Street Harassment Simplified

Woah, stop,
get your hands off me.
I am not your property.

The way I dress,
the things I say,
how I move,
if I pay,
or the makeup on my face
doesn’t mean it’s ok.
You don’t have the right
to do just whatever you like
so

hey, stop
where do you get off
justifying treating me
like I’m your damn property.

I am my own person,
I am free,
without your authorisation,
to just be me.

I can dress in my own clothes,
I can dye my hair,
I can wear a skirt
without worrying you’ll stare.
Your own behaviour
is your responsibility
so stop trying to blame
your harassment on me!

If you like something about me
then hey that’s fantastic
but instead of shouting it out
maybe try another tactic:
just smile once, look away,
don’t get up in my face,
keep your comments to yourself
and out of my personal space.

You don’t know my background,
my worries or fears
so think that your actions
could bring me to tears.
Just keep your cool
and treat me like a human being
and then maybe you’ll see
something worth seeing…

my value is not
based on my face
or if I’m ‘hot’
or on my race,
or anything you
try to judge me by
so please don’t try
to make this situation all about you,
you forget who you are talking to;

I am a person with feelings as well
and if you don’t respect that
then go to hell.

please remember I could be easily scared
and those ‘compliments’ you think of
don’t always need to be shared.
If I do not know you
then I don’t know your intentions,
so listen up please,
just pay some attention:

I am not a piece of meat
for you to pass judgment on.
My sexuality is my own,
there is nothing that is wrong
in being my own person,
in just being me.
I don’t need your acceptance,
I’m free.