What would you do 
if you were us? — Will you phone 
mama, tell her how long 

you will be 
and where if you dare 
ad-venture solo? Will you tell her 

to track you? Google 
map-plot, never take short cuts
scurry with an arsenal 

of keys, hair spray, pepper 
in hand-vices? Will you leave 
earbuds at home, look over shoulders

even when 
there are no audible footsteps 
lurking 

in shadows, or blatant? Will 
you park under lit lamp posts
bypass 

underpasses? Pair-up to visit 
libraries, beaches, urban 
spaces in daylight and dark; visit 

bathrooms in gaggles, safer 
from ogles, gropes, cutthroats? Will 
you be silhouettes waiting 

for buses, cabs, safe hitching 
lifts? Keep eyes downcast if 
we scream sewer-words? Will you 

take 
evasive manoeuvres: put onus 
on sons and you to keep unscathed? 

Wear rape alarm-chains 
around necks, take jujitsu 
lessons, run for your lives? Will you 

call truncheons for help, have 
three nines typed ready 
to send an SOS? Will you call 

Strut-Safe, or blame yourself 
for walking solo 
overdressed, underdressed

cross-examine(d) wardrobe 
choices, asked were you 
a licence for licentious 

assault? Were you
pissed? Were you? Did you 
wear a Sip-Safe wristband, have 

a safeword? Did you 
ask for it? Did you? Will you wheest 
or scream, #MeToo? Go to bars

accept opened bottles, leave them 
breathing 
and dance to, I am gonna live 

forever or ask, Is Angela there? 
What get-out 
clauses will you need 

every-time 
you unlock 
your front door?