harassment

Trying to recover from a recent encounter Ugly! With a friend once cherished! Freshly bruised emotions, I’m wide awake The baby next to me, fast asleep Gently I caress her silky soft hands Counting dimples at the back of her tiny little fingers How vulnerable she can be I reflect! For now we all protect her For the rest of her life, She’ll have to safeguard herself! How innocent we are born Society shapes Circumstances mould us In what we become as adults   Still under a shock, I’m trying to analyze A man of such dignity and honor What high regard I held for him Catching my vulnerability off guard How he assumed he could take advantage! Mountains of respect he managed to bulldoze Within seconds Bullying into my dignity and honor Instantly stripping him self of decency! In a forceful attempt to attack my emotions He invaded my freedom of choice Repulsive were his hands Ugly became his face    As I toss and turn looking to the side for some comfort Holding her soft little hand in mine Wiping my warm tears I caress her milky face Such serenity she encompasses -- I’m envious I hope and pray for her   Taken back in time Memories of other harassments begin to surface From childhood through adolescence Yet this was most repulsive of all For this creep wouldn’t take a ‘No’ for an answer!   In the dim night light She opens her big beautiful eyes, looking into mine Void and vacant in contrast Drawing comfort from my very presence How she secures it by placing her tiny leg on to mine Falls asleep again Her innocent breathing, sweet and aromatic In contrast to that creep’s, recollections keep haunting me Deep breathing so repulsive! Ugly attempts to convince and lure me Spitting out blatant assumptions, compliments most ‘insulting’   Should I have punched him in the gut? Slapped him on the face Pushed him out of the house or called the police? What do you do to such a dear friend? Doesn’t he know? What makes such encounters legitimate? Are two consenting adults! That delicate emotions can never be overpowered Merely by physical strength It works the opposite way!   Whispering his pornographic fantasies! Casting bates of compliments ………… What if I run into him again? How do I shut him out, off my life …………. Somewhat relieved at a ‘Narrow Escape’ I wonder To his failure how would he react? Could forgiveness ever be possible? Would I eventually begin to even empathize? That he may be lonely and starved A product of the society ‘Dysfunctional’ That has shaped him so? Could such a ‘fatal attraction’ ever be sincere in its root Why couldn’t he exercise restraint?  Why?   I hold her close to my heart once again Waiting for chamomile tea to finally take effect Praying to God That she never has to go through Sexual harassments! …………………………….. Zohra Zoberi July 2008