“Me Too.”

As these two words flood my Facebook feed, my heart filled with hope and rage.
I was too scared to post my own because I’m truly not that brave.

But with each new status that held these words, I admired all of you.
And maybe if you can be the change, then I can too.

The scars we wear are hidden, they’re often our demise.
But now we’re taking back our worth, we’re opening up their eyes.

The pain of sexual violation is not unlike a death.
We’re left with pieces of what once was, and only shame is left.

The movement that’s transpiring is changing what we see.
We’re proving that we still have a voice, and we must be believed.

The wounds may never leave us, they may never completely heal.
But now we know we’re not alone, our precious sisterhood is real.

The power feels external, but I know now it’s within.
Each time we write the words “me too,” the healing can begin.

Our voices won’t be muzzled; our shame will slip away.
The Western woman will save our world, and it must start today.

When we stand in truth—united—our voices will be heard.
We can eclipse our broken pasts for all women and girls.

The statistics are unsettling, rape culture must be stopped.
The problem is epidemic, and if you think it’s rare, it’s not.

Most are not reported, the backlash outweighing what transpired.
We’re shamed and guilted for coming forth, and often called a liar.

When we write these two small words, we take back the keys to our own cage.
And what’s unearthed can now be healed, we can no longer disengage.

And to the men who stand behind us, you are what this world needs.
When you acknowledge what is wrong, you help shift our beliefs.

These women are your mothers, daughters, sisters, lovers, friends.
The truths are spilling forward, and we can no longer pretend.

Keep being brave, keep telling truth, unmask the buried shame.
We are not alone in this—in fact, we’re all the same.

Two words won’t heal this overnight, but it’s shifting, thanks to you.
My hope is that I never see my young daughters write, “me too.”

~

Author: Rachel Dehler
Image: Caleb Woods/Unsplash
Editor: Danielle Beutell
Copy editor: Yoli Ramazzina