She walked alone at midnight to ease her mind.
No man beside her, no escort to assure she retained her modesty.
“Spoiled,” they hissed with their eyes narrowed as if to shield them from her sin.
“Rape,” she whispered, her hand tightly gripping that of the one that shook her free.
She wept goodbye to midnight, she wept goodbye to all she wanted to be.
Arbie Krae 