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The words #metoo are typed on a vintage typewriter.
Photo by michaklootwijk on Depositphotos

I want to share my story
for women with the same worries:

remembering back in college
so full of life, full of knowledge,
a boy once told me I had too much
success, he told me to dim it down,
he’ll do all the rest.

once my best friend invited me over
just out of a relationship, looking for closure,
I remember such confusion
and he’ll say it was just an illusion,
a Xanax pill, took me against
my will.

I will never forget how I felt
the morning after,
such a cruel chapter,
but it plays an important factor
to all the other women. I stayed
quiet too. Now the manipulation and
I, we’re through.

2017, my darkest hour,
now I realize you’re just a coward,
a time of deep depression:
a time of drug abuse
and regression.

tell me was there hesitation
when you put on a demonstration,
you hit me with a hand full
of pride. Our relationship was
built off of lies.
20, too young for the trauma
but with every blow I know
comes karma.
every time you hit me with your
hand, tell me does it make you
feel like a man?

Disclaimer: The views in this article are those of the author. Prison Journalism Project has verified the writer’s identity and basic facts such as the names of institutions mentioned.

Luisa Cutting is a writer incarcerated in Virginia.