By Yatih Jha
Physical pain never hurts a raped man
Or a sexually harassed woman.
It’s the reaction of the world upon their pain.
It’s not the look of pity in their eyes,
Not the look of disgust,
It’s the silence of the world upon their pain.
Had the Germans during Nazi Germany
Ever told the Jews that they were also
Just as beautiful as them,
Even their death in the gas chambers
Wouldn’t have been so stripped of self-respect.
Every movement,
Every protest, and
Every struggle has a voice of its own.
Silence was never an answer.
The raped man or the sexually harassed woman
Wouldn’t have been so depressed.
The Jews during Nazi Germany
Wouldn’t have been so stripped of self-respect
Had the world not silenced itself upon their pain.