She is raped under the orders of nature
Within cages real and imagined
Under stars that cling to the lowered eyelids of space
Before live televised audiences, and
In closed door meetings in cities on the moon
She is raped by those that denounce rape
By those who salivate for death
Or guests who show up unannounced
And wear their welcome down to
Teeth that beg and clinch and shake and weep
Before the trembling forests full of blood
As flowers burst and burn as
Stomachs churn and howl
As gardens upon gardens grow
And writhe and get sick
And weak and give in and quit
She is raped in vast loneliness
She is raped in unforeseen regrets
She is raped in bedrooms above dinner parties
And under blankets knit by grandmothers
She is raped by secrets
She is raped by willfulness
She is raped in her own heart
And by her own ideas of love
Abuse paints a self portrait
On a mirror
