mmmphf

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The weight of a large hand pushing against a smaller mouth. When I first started writing this a decade ago it was a personal mission to understand what consent is and what it means. Turns out it means many different things to many different people.

I’m not sure I’ve understood what my ‘consent’ is or was until very recently. Bipolar has fucked with my clarity on many issues & I’m constantly asking my 5, 9, and 14-year-old selves for forgiveness.

For not stopping the monsters.

For not ripping those fucking hands off our wee mouths -

for taking the punches without complaint

and losing our voice for so long

Evil doesn’t come with a warning sign.

It comes in suits and smart casuals

with love bombs and threats

And a banality that is heartbreaking