Father used to exhort us
to be like
saint maria goretti
(the "just say no" saint)
who refused to have sex
with a family friend
& was stabbed
14 times.
i always wanted to ask
why this 12-year-old's
rape was held up
as a holy example
but i never spoke
never broke the seal
on my white hard lips
not even to say
no.
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