Seduction
Hannah Aud
To lead astray in a dead tongue
Morphed to stab you in the back
The Older version is confused
For the true meaning is Middle French
(1520)
But sexuality didn’t exist until 1550
And by then it was clear
The object, the prize: a woman
Better yet her virginity purity
modesty
dignity
She makes an attempt to reclaim
She calls herself seductress (He calls
her) vixen
siren
loose woman
But never slut
For that shows too much
Of the systemic misogyny
That peaks in the 1800s
Then down and down
Until the roaring 1920s
(Now that her knees show she obviously wants it)
Then it peaks again
Just before the 2000s
So many ruined women
Left behind
Makes you wonder
Maybe it wasn’t confusion
A trail of betrayal
That leads to today (2019)
“I’ll seduce her” he says
corrupt
violate
rape
The time for fear is over
He will pay for his insult
For his crime
The time is now
Hannah Aud is a senior Creative Writing and Publishing & Editing double major, from Maryland. She’s the managing editor of RiverCraft, and the president of both Film Club and the Anime and Manga Association here on campus. She has many interests are rarely any time for any of them, but she loves making art, cooking, and of course writing. She recently took up sewing and hopes to improve enough to make her own clothes. She recently finished her GO experience in Italy where she saw a lot of sight and ate a lot of great food. She’s an avid fan of movies, especially of 80’s horror movies, and loves to talk about the MCU with her friends.
Issue 15
2022