1 in 6-
it’s a hot, muggy day.
the backs of my legs stick to the plastic seat
of the subway car,
and i’ve already got my earbuds in to drown out the
world.
time to decompress,
to take a breath,
before i have to get off the train.
but i can’t drown you out.
1 in 6-
you get on shouting,
laughing like a maniac. you sit, but jump up
almost immediately
and move to take the open seat behind me.
you bang on the poles,
the back of the seat, lurching back and forth.
1 in 6-
you’re probably drunk,
maybe high.
you scream-laugh right in my ear,
and i flinch,
not even turning to make eye contact,
but it’s enough.
a mistake.
1 in 6-
you lunge forward suddenly,
pressing your mouth
to the back of my head. it’s barely a second of contact but
i feel my soul cringe.
you spring out of your seat
and slam down next to me.
you lean in, demanding to see my phone.
hey baby-
you put your hand on my thigh
-you got a boyfriend baby?
and i stare down at my knees until you get up again.
1 in 6-
but you’re not finished with me yet.
LOOK AT ME BABY you scream
LIGHT-SKIN LOOK AT ME
I SAID LOOK AT ME YOU WHITE BITCH
HEY LIGHT-SKIN
and then you abandon speech altogether and just shriek.
1 in 6-
i refuse to look up.
i fiddle with my phone, earbuds still in,
a singer crooning in my ear about
how crazy-making love is,
and you’re still screaming at me.
1 in 6-
my mouth contorts in a grimace.
you probably thought it was a smile.
you laugh,
the sound grates on my spine.
we’re at your stop and a policeman is standing on the platform.
am i brave enough?
my jackhammer heart beats me back down,
my brain won’t move my numb limbs,
all its neurons are pumping one thought
1 in 6-
1 in 6-
1 in 6-
1 in 6 women will be raped in her lifetime
