‘Say No’: Anti-Rape Poetry

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide, Rape, Sexual Violence

The following poem discusses themes of rape and sexual violence as well as suicide.

Poet Wordsworth Dondolo took to pen and paper when a friend committed suicide, immortalising the grief and loss of a young woman who was harassed on social media. The poem aims to raise awareness surrounding suicide at UCT as well as to promote anti-rape messages to students. 

No means no. Stop treating her like she’s your h*e. Nobody owns her, you don’t control her “Bro”. You were never there watching her grow  You never knew the crevices of her soul  You never saw the gleam when she would talk about her goals  Why couldn’t you just have some self control  Your desire burned her emotions in the fire  She was faithful and you were just another liar  You shattered all the dreams to which she aspired  And now the sand in her hourglass has expired. You killed her, the blood is on your hands . Enjoy sipping that champagne and spending those bands  In the strip club where you might just get a chance  Since elsewhere you simply don’t ask  At a glance  People like you should keep it in their pants  Because you are the reason she can no longer dance.

• friendship
• loss
• poem
• poetry
• rape
• Suicide