FREE VERSE Poem: Entitlement Taken, by Yazmin Munoz

Am I allowed to stay?
Silence pressed, forced astray,
Pain replayed into my mouth,
Then sank down south,
Spread your legs now.

No.
You shouldn’t be ridiculed for calling out,
Shouldn’t have to search for credentials,
As essential to validate his carved-out heart.
Grasp for love unfound,
For in his back seat, magic wasn’t spellbound.

The truth is,
I am the good girl,
With good grades,
Going to church on Sundays.
I swear I didn’t ask for this.
Look at me–
I knew I’d miss
Trusting a friend who demanded,
“I love you”
And “be mine, won’t you?”

I won’t ruin you,
Like the jeans I can’t repair.
No proof anyway.
No stains, no saints–
Just the throw-up at the station
And the “date” at the DMA.

I never even showered.
Not before, not after–
You made it impossible
For anyone to touch me.
ME.

Don’t you know of my heartache?
A longing for love you promised her,
Over the phone instead of… See?
You broke me down so many times
I cried without a sound–
One, two, three–breathe.

What was this? Why don’t you grieve?
Oh, you’re not saddened? You don’t regret,
You know what you did, don’t you forget.

Love bombs so big
They’d fry fish.
Your name won’t fade,
No matter how many times my skin cells regenerate.

I played by the rules.
My whole life, let no one in.
You had to earn my trust,
My respect, my friendship.

Still, whispers circled.
Like birds to a flame–
More fun than a good run,
You thought wrong, Hun.

And yet,
it still shocked my heart to hear
Your love was ringing–
For more of you.
And Me?
Sitting like a stuffed animal,
Swallowing your callous malice.

I choked once for your mother.
Twice for your sister.
And thrice for your niece.
Who sees you as the good boy,
And notices every tear,
Dear.
Dare to lead them on,
Though I’m yet another pawn—
I beg you, don’t yearn for more MotherF-.

Don’t violate or smother.
Harass me, discard me.
I can see with glee
How I’ll rise like ink from each page–
I’ll write claim to my own stage,
More boisterous than the red of your Mustang.

You thought you’d break,
Me?
That I’d stay shattered?

But the cracks are only paths–
Though taxed,
I’ll walk through them and rise with wrath.
That’s the aftermath…