when the woman behind the podium
asked if there were any other questions,
a woman raised her hand
she was a pretty woman
she asked what a woman
could do through the university
to prosecute the man
she sounded tough
she sounded professional
and the woman behind the podium
asked if this woman was raped
and she said yes
and the woman behind the podium
empathized with her,
told her she was raped
when she was thirteen
told her that she could tell this
certain department at the university
and they would bring a hearing on him
and then the woman behind the podium
asked, well, if you don’t mind my asking,
when did this happen to you
and by the tone of the woman’s voice
she was so calm so collected
I expected her to say
a few years ago
and her response was
six days ago
now, I know the healing process for rape
I’ve studied it in books
first there’s denial, then anger, fear
some of these steps last for years
and here was this woman
so calm, so collected
so tough, so professional
and I just knew
that one day
all of her defenses would fall
and it would all hit her
and she would fall
apart
I felt like her mother
she was my baby
and I wanted to deliver her
from the pain
but there was nothing I could do
I felt so helpless
nothing I could have taught her
would prepare her for this
Scars Publications and Design
in conjunction with Penny Dreadful Press
first edition
copyright @ 2004 Scars Publications and Design
827 Brian Court, Gurnee IL 60031-3155 USA
Editor@scars.tv
http://scars.tv
and assistance from Freedom & Strength Foundation, Troy Press, Hawthorne Press & Dried Roses Press
printed in the United States of America
writings @ 1979-2004 Janet Kuypers
book design @ 1998-2004 Scars Publications and DesignThis book, as a whole, is fiction, and no correlation should be made between events in the book and events in real life. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher.Information about past books is available upon request through Scars Publications and Design. Materials from the literary magazines “Children, Churches and Daddies” and “Down in the Dirt” are available on line at http://scars.tv, as are .mp3 files, .ra files, .aif files, .au files, .wav files .mov and mpeg files of Kuypers, both reading her work and singing with three sets of musicians.Oeuvre is published through Scars Publications and Design, whose publisher is a member/minister through the Universal Life Church. Scars Publications and Design, the logo and associated graphics @ 1979 - 2004. All rights reserved. Kuypers and Scars Publications and Design welcome your comments, tips, compliments or complaints. Direct all comments and suggestions to the e-mail addresses listed above.The definition of oeuvre (the works of a writer, painter, or the like, taken as a whole) is from the Websters Unabridged 2001 Dictionary.