Of Dinah; Of Being Spoken For.

Only Daughter
Born to an unloved wife
Her advantage, forcefully taken
Her forgiveness, willfully given.

“He said he loved me,
What part of that did you not get?
Everyone knows now what was done,
So who else will have me?
Or did you think I was foolish to stay back in his house?
Did you have to kill him?
Did you have to take revenge?
Did you even ask for my take?
Not one word,
Not one word I could speak!”

“In a man’s world,
My voice was silenced.”

“You didn’t kill an entire city for me-
You did it for yourselves,
You bloodthirsty brothers.”

“And Father,
You could have done something. But no.
You held your peace!
You said nothing!
You did nothing!“

“I was defiled and all you cared was how you were perceived by others?
Such care, Papa.”

“I now know one thing.
I must speak for myself, else, I will be spoken for.
I will get my voice, and speak.
I will speak for others like myself.
My story will be their story.”

“Of Dinah,
Of Tamar,
Of the Levite’s Concubine
Of the 400 Virgins of Jabesh-Gilead and the Dancing Women of Shiloh
Of Bathsheba
Of Joseph too.”

For the many who have been sexually assaulted, and silenced to live with the shame, I hope you find your voice.

Your voice to fight your oppressor(s),
Your voice to snatch your dignity back from society,
Your voice to speak because You matter!

With love, from a fellow Dinah