Majority Letdown

A male coworker gets in the elevator with me

and immediately, I tense up.

I know what you’re thinking.

Not all men are bad. You don’t need to worry.

And I don’t disagree; not all are bad.

But how am I to judge who is safe?

I didn’t think my male friends were unsafe,

until they decided they could take from me

whatever it was they wanted.

I didn’t think relatives were unsafe,

until I was nine and made uncomfortable

by those I thought I could trust.

I didn’t think my best friend’s dad was unsafe,

until I fell and hurt my knee and

he tried to kiss my “sugar lips” to make it better.

I didn’t think an old boyfriend was unsafe,

until I woke up in pain in places I shouldn’t

and he didn’t see the problem with it.

How do I know who is safe and who is not,

when the majority of the men I’ve trusted

have let me down?

So my male coworker got in the elevator with me,

and immediately I tensed up.

I wonder if he noticed it too.