The Unsayable

My expression of the memory of being raped.

How can I put the unsayable into words?

I need to release these memories

So the pain won’t be mine.

I can only choke on the words

Trapped too far in me,

Catching in my throat and biting my tongue

Before retreating,

Leaving my mouth empty,

My lungs compressed too much to breathe.

Can you show me where the words are?

Teach me how to say it,

To speak the language of recovery.

It’s a dictionary I’m not familiar with.

The words vanish before my eyes;

My head empties of the ability to communicate,

Replaced by a buzzing in my ears

That keeps pushing the pain back in.

Please just teach me a lesson:

Teach me how to say rape out loud.

Reviews

[Eagle Cruagh]

We men can imagine it. I suppose some men
have been raped. Generally we know that it
is a curse visited on women. I have thought
of trying to write about this curse and as it is
with you, there are no words to describe rape.
There are no expressions which describes other
things, birth, orgasm, love for example, but most
of us realize that rape is a singular evil, because it
is pysically or chemically overpowering the will of
a woman.
Good luck and God bless.
------ Eagle Cruagh

[Angelic Surrender]

That's one thing I hope never happens to me. Must be really hard. Good poem

[AK]

Awesome poem!

[WatashLegend]

the toughest of subjects and you relayed it well, good write

[d]

maybe this one is the best. i think this one really does the trick. but then i think, it is so to the point, that i wonder, that you don't already know all the answers. and that the best teaching is self learning. i don't know... or i don't know if i do know.

[VelvetRosetta]

Something that is very hard for many to speak of, I think its brave and necessary.
It can help break the silence when people feel comfortable to speak of this subject in the open, it seems hard to let others know when we feel violated in such a way, but I think if people wouldnt be so afraid to speak of this then it would be much easier on victims to open up and say what happened, to get it off there chest, doesnt cure but it does help alot for them to get back on track.

[Poetic Beauty]

Rape is a hard word to say for many people even if they haven't been raped. I typically will use sexually assaulted for it describes it better. Rape isn't just being sexually violated but being overpowered and controlled by someone else without permission. It is a horrible experience to go through and it takes many years to be able to tell people about it. You have described what it is like to try to form those words for the first time quite well with the emotions in there.