By Franny Choi, cross-posted with permission from the Poetry Foundation (audio version available there)

Today was the second day of International Anti-Street Harassment Week!

Here are a few highlights:

A Bitch Media article about the Stop Telling Women to Smile wheat pasting night happening later this week.

Hollaback! Bahamas held a Chalk Talk to engage people in conversation about the sidewalk chalk messages they posted last night. Their Chalk Walk yesterday made the newspaper and there will be another article tomorrow.

Safe City Nepal held a Torch Rally with placards, “We demand street lights for women’s safety”, Bhadrakali-Shahid Gate, Kathmandu.

In Belgium, Hollaback! Gent put up one of the banners they made about street harassment. This one focuses on bystanders and reads, “If mean words stream, you can come in between.”

The #LondonLoves campaign featuring anti-harassment messages at London Landmarks is underway.

In Canada, Women in Cities International held a workshop about street harassment with girls.

In Arizona, Hollaback! Tucson hosted a “Meet Us on the Mall” event at the University of Arizona. They had info about street harassment, feminism, Transgender Day of Awareness, and more + goody bags and picture booths.

The first tweet chat took place today. Four feminist activists co-lead a tweet chat about #streetharassment, especially the young age it starts, how it impacts us, and what we can do about it: @ZerlinaMaxwell @nualacabral @RaquelReichard @Besito86

Community Against Violence in New Mexico was on the Paddy Mac show on 101.9 K-Taos Solar Radio Show and in the Taos News

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See the photo album of events.

Our next Tweet Chat is tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET with SSH, National Sexual Violence Resource Center and PreventConnect as we talk about how street harassment connects to sexual violence and rape culture and what we can do about it. Use #EndSH

Cross-posted with permission

Enough of being right
Enough of being fair,
Do you even care?

I walk in the nights
Wearing my tights
Wolves around me
With glistening eyes
Ready to pounce
Waiting for a chance

I walk my days through
In my flowery shorts,
Those streets everyday
There, the birds of prey
Gawking like a fool
Hawking through my soul

But you say
That is so fair
I am not to dance,
I’m not to prance,
In my tights and shorts

Tights are too tight for me
Shorts are too short, you see
“Nights are not yours girl,
Days are just fine to be!”

And when I tell you how degraded I feel every time
a stranger calls “Hey Bomb, I wanna F*** you” at me,
You say,
“Maybe you were in the wrong place
at a wrong time
wearing a wrong dress”
You never talk about that wrong person

Then you add,
“Go to your college straight,
go with a friend,
Go to your work straight,
stay quiet, do not fend,
Come back home straight
And that’s the end,
end of your day”

End of your day?
End of My day, you say?

End of my dignity
End of my sanity
End of my capacity
To bear
End of my mobility, my creativity
End of your sensitivity
I say

Dear human being, in what language does no mean yes?
And why don’t you get that I’m a human being too
Just like you
Please don’t make me hate you
‘Coz that means I hate me too!
Dear human being, please understand,
And speak up!!

It’s enough now
Enough of accepting,
Enough of giving in,
The bells of freedom hence ringing
Holding head high
Singing my own song
Of love and life,
Of right and wrong
Flying high in the sky
Swimming deep into the sea
Getting lost in wilderness
Staring into the abyss
Dancing to the tunes of hope

– As I like it!

Enough is enough!!