poem “Victims of Violence for Lending a Hand”, a poem about using the day that activist Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed as a day to not only help victims of violence and abuse but to also hep the people who try to help the victims, because they can also be attacked and abused, and live love and respect to anyone involved with helping stop the violence and abuse and inequality, By Chicago Poet Janet Kuypers

[the Writing of Kuypers] [JanetKuypers.com] [Bio] [Poems] [Prose]

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers, while hosting the Poetry Aloud open mic 4/27/19 in Georgetown TX, reads her poems “Xanthoxenite in St. Mary Lake” (originally written about the Notre Dame) and “Victims of Violence for Lending a Hand” (written on and for Victims of Violence Wholly Day), then her poem “Before Taking Over the Controls (2015 edit)”, read from her 2014-2016 Chicago poetry performance art book “A Year-Long Journey”, all read to a live audience for National Poetry Month (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers, while hosting the Poetry Aloud open mic 4/27/19 in Georgetown TX, reads her poems “Xanthoxenite in St. Mary Lake” (originally written about the Notre Dame) and “Victims of Violence for Lending a Hand” (written on and for Victims of Violence Wholly Day), then her poem “Before Taking Over the Controls (2015 edit)”, read from her 2014-2016 Chicago poetry performance art book “A Year-Long Journey”, all read to a live audience for National Poetry Month (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera, and was given a Sepia Tone filter).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Victims of Violence for Lending a Hand” for Victims of Violence Wholly/Holy Day on April 4^th, “Red Matter” for First Contact Day on April 5^th, verse II ‘the Martyr’ of “I Never Took a Life Until I Took My Own, part II: “the martyr”” for the day Kurt Cobain killed himself on April 5^th, and “Quote Unquote Holiday for us Beer Drinkers” for National Beer day on April 7^th, April event poems read from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)” during her “Poetic License open mic 4/5/20 home edition” she hosted in Austin, but globally through a Facebook event page (video from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr).

See YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Victims of Violence for Lending a Hand” for Victims of Violence Wholly/Holy Day on April 4^th, “Red Matter” for First Contact Day on April 5^th, verse II ‘the Martyr’ of “I Never Took a Life Until I Took My Own, part II: “the martyr”” for the day Kurt Cobain killed himself on April 5^th, and “Quote Unquote Holiday for us Beer Drinkers” for National Beer day on April 7^th, April event poems read from her poetry book “Every Event of the Year (Volume one: January-June)” during her “Poetic License open mic 4/5/20 home edition” she hosted in Austin, but globally through a Facebook event page (video from a Panasonic Lumix T56 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr).

See a YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Victims of Violence for Lending a Hand”, “Quote Unquote Holiday for us Beer Drinkers”, “Xystus to Foundation”, and “Even if Only (dreams 4/15/19)” from the April 2021 v182 issue of Down in the Dirt’s paperback book “i am not alone” 4/7/21, during the usual time for Austin’s “Community Poetry” feature reading (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuypersinstagram

See a Facebook live video stream of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Victims of Violence for Lending a Hand”, “Quote Unquote Holiday for us Beer Drinkers”, “Xystus to Foundation”, and “Even if Only (dreams 4/15/19)” from the April 2021 v182 issue of Down in the Dirt’s paperback book “i am not alone” 4/7/21, during the usual time for Austin’s “Community Poetry” open mic (this video was filmed and streamed from a Samsung S9 camera). #janetkuyperspoetry

Enjoy this YouTube video of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Victims of Violence for Lending a Hand”, “Quote Unquote Holiday for us Beer Drinkers”, and “Even if Only (dreams 4/15/19)” from the Scars Publi cations 1-4 2021 Down in the Dirt issue collection book “Excerpts from the Plague Years” 7/20/21 for “The Café Gallery 7/20/21 Book Reading” in The Café Gallery Book Reading series 2020+ (this video was filmed from a Panasonic Lumix 2500 camera; posted on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuypersthecafegallery

See this Facebook live video stream of Janet Kuypers reading her poems “Victims of Violence for Lending a Hand”, “Quote Unquote Holiday for us Beer Drinkers”, and “Even if Only (dreams 4/15/19)” from the Scars Publi cations 1-4 2021 Down in the Dirt issue collection book “Excerpts from the Plague Years” 7/20/21 for “The Café Gallery 7/20/21 Book Reading” in The Café Gallery Book Reading series 2020+ (this video was filmed and streamed from a Samsung S9 camera). #janetkuypers #janetkuyperspoetry #janetkuypersbookreading #janetkuypersthecafegallery

Victims of Violence
for Lending a Hand
Janet Kuypers
4/5/19, written the day after
Victims of Violence Wholly Day
Working as an acquaintance rape workshop facilitator for years,
I designed flyers and brochures and newspaper advertisements
to spread the word, and to help women who have been suffering
because of men who used sex as a weapon violently against them.
Some would then try to defile my name for this, writing slanderous things
about me in public bathrooms... but their petty comments were nothing
compared to the violence men commit against women daily, so I had no
problem with abusers calling out someone for non-violently fighting back.
—
When I heard that yesterday was Victims of Violence Wholly Day
I absentmindedly thought that this was a day to give women —
and all people — the respect they deserve, so they can be whole again
after battling violence in relationships, in family, in sex. But then
I thought about the date for Victims of Violence Holy Day more
and realized that April 5th is the day that Martin Luther King Jr.
was actually shot and killed. Then I realized this date was for more
than honoring the victims and the survivors, but it’s to remind us
that those who fight for change can be hurt in the process too.
The death of this activist reminds us that we all have that dream
of non-violence and equality between genders and races, and we
should all help not only the ones who have suffered this wrath,
but also the people who were attacked and defiled because they care.
For people who picket on the streets. For people who write for change.
For people who counsel the abused. For people who lend a hand,
or a hug. This fight is for all of us. And we love you for all you do.

Copyright © Janet Kuypers.

All rights reserved. No material
may be reprinted without express permission.

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