The Burden Of 80 Proof

Sexual assault – of any kind – is just horrendous.
Perpetrators’ vile behavior certainly offends us.
We must change the culture so no longer we permit it –
Just as long as there are witnesses who saw who did it.

If you claim a sex assault some time ago occurred,
You must be believed, and we will take you at your word.
Standing up for victims: a societal imperative –
Just as long as no one else presents a counter-narrative.

Burned into your memory will be this person’s face;
We just need to know the time exactly, and the place.
Terrible behavior such as this for sure transgresses –
Now, if you’ll provide us witness names and their addresses.

The mind’s a funny thing, and it will take steps to protect us
When we cannot protect ourselves from drunk Homo erectus.
It blocks recall of circumstances, yet some memory’s seared:
Details are unforgettable of who and what we feared.

We wish we could believe you, and we don’t think you’d tell lies;
It’s just that it would help if you’d cross “tees” and dot those “eyes.”
Please don’t feel the burden here for proof is insurmountable;
We all claim to believe you – but we’ll hold no one accountable.