You Were Seduced

Your problem is

You think seduction

Is sexual

Seduction is just

Trying to get someone

To do what you want

That’s not how

You didn’t know

You were being seduced

Because there was no element

Of sex in it

The person was making eye contact

The person was complimentary

The person was speaking

In a respectful tone

And you opened up

And you opened up

And the next thing you know

You’ve been compromised

That’s how it happens

We’re taught

That the only way

We can be violated

Is with sex

Nobody teaches you

That violation

Can come in all forms

And so

You trust someone

Feeling confident

That they don’t want anything

From you

Sexually

And all the while

They’re looking at

What they have to gain

From emotionally compromising you

Finding out what you know

And what you’re capable of

Pretty soon you’re in love

And you don’t even know it

Because your idea of love

Is based on coloring books

And fairy tales

You sat there

And you let yourself

Be seduced

And when it was all over

Because your clothes never came off

You convinced yourself

That nothing about you

Was infiltrated

You ordered drinks

And dessert

And coffee

And you cracked jokes

And you patted yourself on the back

For avoiding

A complicated situation

You didn’t avoid anything

You dodged what, in your opinion,

Was the problem at hand

And, like most people,

While you were looking

At the problem at hand

You weren’t seeing

The problem creeping up behind you

I am stunned

That you could be so narrow-minded

And so self-involved

That you think

The only way somebody gets power

Is to get you into bed

We are evolving

And yet you think

That all boogeymen

Are only interested

In wearing trench coats

And hiding out in dark alleys

The predators

Are getting

Smarter

So, by all means,

Watch your drink

Hold your keys tight in your hands

Be ready to signal

If somebody makes a move

For the top button

Or the back of your dress

But when that doesn’t happen

Do not assume

That you are safe

You are not safe

You are never safe

You are fooling yourself

If you think

That this is only ever

Going to be about sex

You were seduced

Somebody wanted

Something from you

And they got it

And not only that

They got you

To give it to them

Willingly

And when you understand that

When you really get it

It’s going to haunt you

For a long

Long

Time