Consent Respected

Knees are bruised by life’s delights
when bent to serve rapture’s bliss
the key to knowing when it’s so
falls to a word of joint restraint.
Judge not when two speak as one
life is too short for decrees to damn
when assent has found its mark
none are tarnished in reward.

The pure of heart will ask license
to move beyond their own space
not because assent will come
instead because denial is choice.
Consent colors all pursuits
be they naughty or be they nice
or even neutral to the eye
it matters only that sanction rules.

This is the way of those who care
for fellow person no matter age
gender or experience forced
by crush of fate’s spinning wheel.
There are those who will resist
the golden rule of thoughtful mind
when selfish madness is their path
impacting others most unkind.

This debasement scars the mind
sets emotions to be unkind
to the human too much alive
striving forward to meet the world.
Innocence succumbs when evil quells
determination of freedom’s quest
no matter age or power gained
all are victims when evil wins.

To say no is mercy’s way
to put aside unwanted draw
restoring shelter in this world
in a world respected thus.
Knees are bruised, this is true
how it happened is not the core
look instead to intent joined
consent respected as life unwinds.

2016, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved, 20160918.

The Tumblr page of an original works writer is headed with the words “And you think my bruised knees are sort of pretty”.  Moments after seeing this I reviewed a social site that correctly stated that a consent culture asks for misplaced clothing labels to not be touched by strangers.  The combination of these two themes resulted in the poem “Consent Respected”.