Pierce

I live and breathe as a subset of this universe, but you live and breathe as though you own it. Walking and existing in shared spaces is never easy when you spread your filth everywhere. You have so much power within you which you don't realize. Forget touch, your gaze is enough to pierce through my skin and nauseate my soul. I catch you looking at everything that breathes through the reflections of mirrors, shades and sometimes even our own eyes. That gaze that slips down mid conversation is no coincidence, we notice, take a hard gulp on the moment and continue on as if nothing happened. Sometimes reaction feels like an awful lot of emotion for something that is so pathetically habitual of your kind. We can stop one and three more are bred into the same toxic masculinity, how do we even begin to speak out?

As I make my way to any destination, in any part of the world on any day or time; I find you again. The face and bodily parts change but that gaze, that piercing gaze is one I am too familiar with. Much like the wildlife, you impersonate the predator and undoubtedly make us feel like the prey. The prey that must flee or go unnoticed in the hopes of feeling more secure in a world where they are ultimately part of the life cycle waiting to be discarded. In a crowd you often dominate, and not in just the number but the atrocious intent. And then there comes the one that has his ego above his head and strokes his hand away, pretending for it to be an unintentional sway. But we all know it's never unintentional; it's a lack of respect for our kind and our consent. Your egocentric, entitled existence is revealed in that one brisk movement.

You don’t limit yourself to any role. You exist as our brothers, boyfriends and bosses too. That suit and tie doesn't have the ability to contain or restrict your disgust. Where there is no physical or emotional harassment, there is always psychological. You stem from an ego that overpowers your actions and thoughts, and that ego allows you to dominate everything. Having total disregard for someone's emotional disposition is one of the qualities you applaud.

Undoubtedly, you encourage the same and that is why your actions and intent never change and the statistics continue to astound.

Sincerely,

A woman trying to safely exist in public spheres.