We are told:
carry your keys like claws in your fist,
a lioness armed with silver teeth,
a silent shadow ready for war.
Walk fast, head high,
never too much skin at night.
Text when you’re home,
share your location,
don’t take the shortcut.
Don’t smile.
Wear shoes you can run in,
lips you can bite shut.
Swallow the rage like it’s yours to keep—
because it is, they say.
And in the quiet of these rules,
there is no whisper to them:
don’t follow her,
don’t leer at her,
don’t cage her with your words.
They don’t hear,
don’t teach,
don’t change.
We stitch safety into our bones,
lace vigilance through every day,
while they walk free,
bare of burden,
their laughter unchecked.
But the truth is loud:
this world belongs to us too,
not just the corners and cracks
we carve into hiding places.
Teach them what we carry.
Teach them the weight of our keys.
Let them know how it feels—
to walk into a world
that isn’t a warning,
but a welcome.
JH
Julan62 
Carrie
January 20, 2025 at 3:42 pm
This hits home so much. Men never have to cope with what we have to do to keep ourselves safe.
keep up with this poetry ✨️
it shines a light on us all.
Nina
January 20, 2025 at 4:34 pm
so 👍 👍 true 👍
Judy
January 20, 2025 at 4:51 pm
so true
Mo
January 20, 2025 at 3:55 pm
If women ruled the world eh!
the fact that carry Magas and God bothered bible bashers hurt our kids by NOT understanding them . Using to word woke as a derogatory term instead of doung what woke actually means. Respect and empathy and no racism.
our bodies OUR choice.
Judy
January 20, 2025 at 4:52 pm
defo OUR bodies OUR choice
Mari
January 20, 2025 at 5:34 pm
YES Ours ♥️ 🙏 ♥️
Tinker
January 31, 2025 at 5:16 pm
very true indeed
Nina
January 20, 2025 at 4:33 pm
my cousin was mugged the guy actually got a way with it cos the police said he didn’t mean it 😒 guessing it was because he was a white dude and my cousin was not!!!!!
Julan62
January 20, 2025 at 4:36 pm
Oh My I’m so very sorry for your cousin!!!
Judy
January 20, 2025 at 4:52 pm
OMG!!! I’m so so sorry!
Frida Bolin
January 21, 2025 at 10:18 pm
OMG sorry about that.
Judy
January 20, 2025 at 4:50 pm
OMFG!!!! Yea 🥲😪
Judy
January 20, 2025 at 4:54 pm
love this poem in fact they all are wonderful ❤️
Mari
January 20, 2025 at 5:33 pm
We women who seem to be downtrodden for centuries! Look at Afganistan the menare suck dickless knobheads that they suppress women. They are chicken shit wankers.
Frida Bolin
January 21, 2025 at 10:17 pm
People are no longer safe these days. Women and girls especially.
knife crimes In the UK..Guns owned by everyone on the US.
Our world has changed. Horrible 😩
Frida
January 29, 2025 at 10:08 pm
I wish the world was different. I wish the world was kinder.
Dennis
January 31, 2025 at 10:53 am
The things woman and girls have to out up with is fucking awful! I hate the fact that my wife and daughters have to even think of this shit!
yea I’m angry!
Inês
January 31, 2025 at 4:51 pm
merde so true!
Tinker
January 31, 2025 at 5:15 pm
It’s like the talk that African Americans have to give their kids cos the police are so fucking racist! 😒 riddled with this shit.