“The bear can’t bear the attention turned away.
It can’t handle when the doe finally made headway.
Subconsciously, it hunts, ready to bite.
‘Come here, my deer.’
It thinks of nothing more than its delight.
Quickly, she notices it stalk behind her.
She begins bravely bolting, bellowing for help.
Although this isn’t what it would prefer.
For the rest of her life, it will chase the doe.
Until one day it catches her, and she fills with woe.”
This poem was written about what happened after a sexual assault experience that happened to Alice Faith. This and other poems similar can be found at @alice.faith.writes.
If something like this happens to you or something you know, reach out to a trusted adult, friend, or to a teacher counselor or resource officer. While reporting can be important, what is more important is making sure the victim has a place to go to be okay. If someone is struggling with coping, they can reach out to organizations such as Safe2Tell and 988.