I am repulsed by sexual innuendo Men who use it are sleazy They don’t respect my boundaries They don’t respect me They don’t respect women   When we deflect their advances They call us bitches They think they’re entitled They’re not Cecile Ravell©2025 I wrote this poem after I was recently subjected to inappropriate behaviour. Yet again. When I was younger, I froze when confronted by uninvited advances. It wasn't flattering then, it isn't flattering now. But now I have a voic

He slithers into the room Like the snake that he is   Towering over me Invading my space   His fetid breath makes me gag He recoils at my disgust   No words Just a look conveys it all   I am revolted by you Crawl back under your rock

Hi eyes flash, his teeth bared in a hungry grin. He’s advancing towards me. There is nowhere to hide. In one fell swoop he is in my space, glaring down at me. I feel beads of sweat breaking out on my upper lip. A scream catches in my dry throat. I look left and right, scanning the area for a means of escape. He’s now towering over me, drooling, his hot breath on my face.   A hand encircles my arm. ‘Are you okay?’ a male colleague says, as he steers me away from the office pre