TAKE BACK THE NIGHT
*I wrote this piece in the 1990's. The beginning of it all.*
TAKE BACK THE NIGHT
Take back the night
The night of my pain
The night and the memories
That will drive me insane
Take back the anger
The hate that I feel
Take back the hurt
It's all still too real
Take back the fact
That I wasn't your first
Take back the others
That have quenched your sick thirst
Take your own life
You'd be better in death
Take it or else
I will take your last breath
Take back the night
The night of my rape
Take back the memories
That I will never escape
Poetry Written By:
Eryn Dunbar
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Comments
Take Back the Night - Sounds like a movement, but in this case, it's more of a personal vendetta against the night itself, or perhaps the actions that have haunted it. It's raw, it's real, and it's got more edge than a poorly planned dinner party where the cheese grater gets confused with the salad tongs.
The night of my pain:
Ah, the night, often romanticized in literature, here it's the antagonist, the backdrop against which personal tragedies unfold. It's like if Shakespeare wrote about Macbeth but decided to focus on Lady Macbeth's nightmares instead of the murdery bits.
The night and the memories:
Memories are tricky beasts. They can sneak up on you, much like an uninvited guest at a dinner party, making themselves at home in your psyche
That will drive me insane:
An ode to the classic human condition where the mind turns against itself. It's like hosting your own mental breakdown, and no one else is invited.
Take back the anger, The hate that I feel:
Here we see a plea for emotional recycling. If only rage could be composted into something less toxic, like perhaps a really bitter herb.
Take back the fact / That I wasn't your first:
Oof, the sting of not being someone's first. It's like finding out your custom-made cake was baked with a recipe someone used before.
Take back the others / That have quenched your sick thirst:
There's a theme here of reclaiming what's been lost or tainted, with a side of vengeance. It's like saying, "I want my cake back, and I want the icing on all the other cakes too."
Take your own life / You'd be better in death:
Now, this is where the poem takes a dark turn, into the realm of wishing ill upon another. It's intense, it's dramatic, it's the poetic version of when someone says, "I hope you step on a Lego."
Take back the night / The night of my rape / Take back the memories / That I will never escape:
This stanza captures the essence of the piece – the desire to undo, to take back time, which, if we're being honest, is as feasible as asking the Earth to stop spinning for a coffee break.
This poem is a gut-punch wrapped in rhythm, a stark reminder that words can be weapons of war against personal demons. It's not just taking back the night; it's reclaiming one's narrative from the shadows of trauma.
And remember, while poetry can't change the past, it can certainly give you the words to express your darkest moments, or at least make you feel like you've had a good scream into the void.