I was in the fourth grade,

When they were first sexist,

And called me a woman,

And treated me like a pest.

I dropped those nasty friends,

With disgust on my face,

But not before,

I let them know,

That my abilities they could not base,

On my gender.

I was mad then,

But I didn't understand,

What was coming for me later,

When I was dealt an even worse hand.

It was during Covid,

On that fateful day,

When we were allowed to move lunchroom seats,

And he chose to sit by me.

It was a table full of guys,

Which was not the issue,

But the issue became clear,

When they laughed with him, too.

I stayed away,

As much as I could,

I hid in the bathroom,

And put up my hood.

But it was too late,

For my worth and my sanity,

For already the little I had retained,

Had been lost.

So instead,

I cried,

I let it all out,

And then I promised,

I would never shout,

Again.