Local Clothesline Project T-shirts
To
see a shirt in greater detail, click on the photo.
A
few years ago I took photos of the T-shirts several women and
children decorated for the YWCA's Clothesline Project. It was
an amazing experience. The anguish and pain going into the
shirts was impressively converted into great artistic expression.
The result was incredibly moving art of a most personal nature.
Listen to Girls!
It can happen here . . .
If
you listen now . . .
you might save our little sisters.
She
flies free, this dove,
free to sing her mourning song
but yes -- oh yes,
free to fly.
She
flies beyond
this veil of secrecy . . .
the
church
beyond this mask of purity
beyond which
lurks and lives
this predator, called
minister.
And he is unmasked, revealed,
shamed . . . and he
will
know no peace.
And she,
yes
she,
flies free.
Shirt on the left is by a woman abused by her
therapist.
These
two shirts were made by the same woman. The one on the left is
in honor of a friend who, as a child, repeatedly saw her sister being
molested by their father.
The second is her own shirt. The shiny sand in the top of the hourglass represents the remaining time in her life. The darkness and shapes at the bottom of the hourglass represent the years of her life lost to abuse. All of You!! You took MY Memories. How Dare you steal what is Mine? My MEMORIES!! The things I should be sharing with my child. How dare you ROB Her of That? Instead you left me with a BROKEN LIFE!! I have a life left. I HAVE A VOICE. You will not take it!! I WILL reclaim what you have stolen from ME. I WILL Know MYSELF and my husband & daughter will know ME!! And IT WILL BE GOOD!
The
shirt on the left has a note attached with a "Safety pin"
Today I
-try to take care of myself
-am
fighting depression
-trying to keep a job
The slashed shirt conveys her ongoing pain. The writing, mostly green on a green background, is harder to read, perhaps because it is hard to tell her story.
The shirt on the right tells another woman's anguish at being raped by a friend. Acquaintance Rape is REAL!
The
shirt on the left has a vivid message from a woman who names names,
and is angry about how she was treated by others after being raped.
Sharing Understanding fReedom Victor Inner*peace loVe pOwerful Renewed are the words that spell out survivor. This journey made me stronger, I don't want secrets any longer. Day by day goes by. Each one brings PAIN + DISCOVERY! When will I end this JOURNEY of HEALING? Can this JOURNEY EVER BE ENDED?
These T-shirts, made by a dozen or so people, reflected the wide
variety of abuse unfortunately experienced by so many: incest
and domestic violence experienced by children, acquaintance rape,
rape by a minister, gang rape at a party, rape by a therapist.
Fortunately, as the last shirt shows, we can eventually become healed
and empowered, and change from victims to survivors, stronger than
ever. For information on making your own T-shirt, call the YWCA
at 630-790-6600 and ask for Merlyn. These shirts and others
will be on display at Take Back The Night.