My Shame

You step into the light
and our lustful eyes
crawl over your body like vermin.
You seek refuge in the shadows
and our leprous hands
pull you into
narrow blind alleys
lined with deaf walls.

Woman,
you were meant to be the
sunlight
that lit up our dark lives;
and the shadow that
shielded us from the harsh sun.

Yet you're safe from us
in neither light
nor shadow.