It’s not okay to just grab us,
Not okay to wade on in,
To pace and parade across our path,
With hard eyes and a lecherous grin.

It’s not okay to run your hand down our backs,
Not okay to pull our clothes.
To laugh and taunt when we pull away,
With your un-daunted hopes.

It’s not okay to jeer and jaunt,
Not okay to ignore our protests to go.
To keep pushing, grabbing and calling out,
With no regard for our unanimous “no”.

This is a message to the men,
Who do this again and again,
Not a generalisation as a whole or a slight –
To the boys who cause fear,
Whilst we’re frozen over the years,
Feeling powerless to stop this or to fight.

It’s not okay, to protest that clothes provoke this,
Not okay, this obnoxious, invasive abuse;
With this kind of man, being predatory –
Can seem to use gender as an excuse.

It’s not okay, that this is okay.
Not okay that you’re all content with your choices,
To keep imposing your desires on us, as-and-when,
With no consequence, landing us with no voices.

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