Fire

“Wolf! Wolf!” He screamed.

The people ran out of their houses,

But nothing was seen.

“Wolf! Wolf!” He screamed.

People came out of their houses,

But again nothing was seen.

“Wolf! Wolf!” He screamed. One more time.

But this no one came out,

No one cared.

When I was in Grade 6, a friend said if you were ever in trouble scream “Fire!”,

People will always rush in when you scream fire,

They will treat it as a real emergency and at the time I thought,

“Huh, I guess that makes sense. So it must be true.”

But now fast forward years later,

I think about all the girls who screamed help,

But no one came to help them.

Would it have been better for them to scream fire?

Would they have been saved then?

I think about this all the time, over and over again.

If my house burns to the ground,

I’m covered.

My house burns down - home insurance.

I can stay with a friend.

My possessions are only material, they can be replaced,

I can buy a new phone, a new house.

I break an ankle,

Life insurance.

I can go to the hospital,

Spend a few days,

Go on crutches,

Pay for physio,

Learn how to walk again.

But if I was raped,

There’s no coverage.

My body cannot be replaced,

My brain can not be restored or compensated for,

My mental health can’t be rebuilt to what it was before.

Even if I screamed “Rape”, would anyone even believe me?

Or would they just tease me?

Tell me I’m a liar?

You know what,

Maybe I should yell fire.

Because those memories would be burnt into my skull,

Branded on my skin.

Ablaze on me, only able to think of that time of sin,

Days and days would pass and it would be over,

But what happened would always stay with me.

And what if you did believe me?

What if we found the guy, I know who he is, where he lives,

He’d still have a chance to walk free,

Because of a corrupted system, the “he said, she said” debate,

Let’s guys like Brock Turner's ass walk free.

And guys get raped too,

But only if they knew.

Since hyper-masculinity surrounds them,

Saying shit like “If you’re getting laid then say an amen” but then.

He’s tortured on the inside,

And follows the rest of the women,

Standing in the victim line,

Thinking that it might be fine.

Where's the justice for the survivors,

That kept their heads up?

Who just wants to watch their predators get handcuffed?

Saying “She wanted it.”,

“He never said no..”

“Why couldn't they just let it go?”

Or “What's the big deal?”

Remember those words while you sit for your last meal.

So screw it.

Next time, I’ll scream “Fire!”

Because that fire will burn me forever,

It’ll also be trapped within you.

I’d set a torch to your life, your family.

Burn your future too,

But then again… just like me before,

Only if you knew.