A Family Thing

My father does not believe women
who say they have been raped.
He asks questions like
why and how and why now,
as if assault on their bodies is merely an inconvenience,
as if their bodies do not rot on their own with each passing second.
They do not need help feeling less than.

He asks why I am so affected
by the orange man in office with the tiny hands
and other men stepping down from positions of power.
I do not have the heart to tell him my brother
did not always keep his hands to himself.

---

Ashley Elizabeth is a 20-something year old poet from Baltimore who draws inspiration from her city, her people, her space, and her body. She has been featured in online journals such as Rose Water, Passages North, Rat's Ass Review, Red Paint Hill and For the Sonorous, among others. Ashley is also Assistant Editor at Sundress Publications. She habitually posts on Twitter and Instagram @ae_thepoet.