People Aren’t Gum (Trigger Warning: S*xual A*sault)

TRIGGER WARNING! S*XUAL ABUSE

I don’t miss my childhood,
especially second to fourth grade
when I was used like chewing gum
by teenagers who groomed me like a dog.
When I told my parents what happened,
they— along with society—
told me I wasn’t better
than the gum they had in their mouth.
They said I could’ve controlled what happened
and discard the situation
like the gum they had in their mouth.
The gum was disposable like my feelings
of depression, anxiety, and doubt.
Now it’s up to me
to pick myself up from the sidewalk
and not be tossed in the trash
as if I’m another piece of gum.