"My Fault"

You say it's my fault
When I wear the shiny red dress
Smile a lipstick smile
Walk alone in the streets at night
You say I asked for it
With the way I moved
The way I looked, talked, touched.

But was it my fault when I was small?
When I had pink bows in my hair
Pretty dresses with frills
A perfect cotton candy smile
When I didn't understand what was happening
Only that it must be my fault

So now I speak in stories
Because my half truths of fiction
Are easier to believe than my reality

-Kasandria {in Bradford}