Jane Dougherty

Of course. It's all we can do. And shout!

Maybe. I look at something huge and hideous like the Epstein Files, the mass of victims coming forward with names and dates, the photos, emails, so much hard evidence and not only are there no conviction, there aren't even any charges! Where's the justice?

Yes! That's it. I'll try that when it says it's empty. I'll see if it works now, to show me yesterday's posts too.

I have the handful that were posted today, all the rest from Friday have gone. Whenever I look for the #poemsabout during the week I get a message saying, this feed is empty, do another search.

I do! It fills up on Friday but by Saturday morning there's nothing there.

It' a shame that all the #PoemsAbout disappear after a few hours. Why is that?

The world as theme park, entertainment all that matters, and let's make it loud, music and motors. Pitiful.

I like the quiet insistence of this, the vines that smother the yarrow plant, a natural occurrence, but what is acceptable among plants, shouldn't be acceptable for us. Despite what the boys' team keeps telling us.

#poemsabout #consent

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We're in the hands of monsters, and too many people approve of them.

Thanks, Philippa 💙 There's so much to be depressed about, and I don't see it getting any better. As long as we have cheap petrol, nobody cares about anything else.

It's hard to keep believing that anything we say or do has any impact.

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Exactly. Our consent is neither here nor there.

A thought #PoemsAbout #consent
@thebrokenspine.co.uk

Consent

one of those small murmured words
light as a leaf in the wind
with as little weight as a falling feather
a theory
something we have to give or withhold
in theory
in reality
a little weightless thing
the powerful simply take.

😢

It's desperate. Everything seems so awful, ugly and ignorant.

It used to be expected that one of the girls would never marry and exist just to look after aging parents. Parents now think they're bringing up their children impartially, but that too often means girl = princess boy = prince, and we know how those stories play out.

I can imagine. Even urban Italy is difficult for women. It's so hard to change a system when it means some have to give up their absolute power. They won't do it, and not enough women teach anything but dominance to their sons.

Not enough women take it seriously or see it as an issue. Too many mothers all over little boys and letting them do/be what they want, even if that includes shoving the girls completely out of the picture.

I still see it in schools, how the teachers favour the boys, let them answer, excuse them when they're rowdy and generally shout at the girls for 'chattering at the back'. Girls should be seen but not heard and never ever answer back. Makes me furious.

Thanks Debbie. It's our specific and universal experience. And it's time it stopped.

There seems to be so little humanity or compassion. Just a whole lot of ugly, selfish ignorance.

How we can treat creatures that look as though they share the best of us, so cruelly is staggering.

It frightens me.

Yes, there are always good people, no matter how dark the times, but what frightens me is the strength of this masculinist backlash among the Gen Zedders. They are the future, but their boomer parents and grandparents are more progressive than they are.

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Much more perceptive than most of us!

Knowing that you are being watched possibly by a predator is what all girls are aware of from being small. It is a terrible indictment of our society.