from POWER POINT (Sheila-Na-Gig Editions, 2024)
winner, 2025 National Press Women Communications Prize
Buy→ Amazon · Sheila-Na-Gig
WHEN? ALWAYS. A found poem from the Desoto County Sheriff's Office website. The center text reads: On a daily basis, Carry your body, Do not leave it unattended, Late at night whisper doubt, Avoid letting the world know, Take Self-Defense, No matter how diligently, We practice avoidance, We find ourselves, Awful.
"When? Always." documents the unending inventory of safety modifications women make — not as a choice, but as a precondition of moving through the world. These numbers quantify that calculus.
Data year: 2018
| Behavior women adopt for safety | % who do this | |
|---|---|---|
| Avoid walking alone at night | 81% | |
| Cross the street to avoid a man | 71% | |
| Check back seat before entering car | 68% | |
| Text someone when meeting a stranger | 61% | |
| Hold keys as improvised weapon | 54% | |
| Share live location when out alone | 53% |
Source: Stop Street Harassment, "The Facts Behind the #MeToo Movement," 2018; YouGov/Plan International survey on street harassment, 2018.
By comparison, 18% of men report similar behavioral modifications due to safety concerns.
Data year: 2018
| Type of harassment experienced (lifetime) | % of US women | |
|---|---|---|
| Any form of sexual harassment | 81% | |
| Verbal harassment in public | 77% | |
| Unwelcome physical contact | 51% | |
| Followed by a stranger | 34% | |
| Prevented from using public spaces | 38% |
Source: Stop Street Harassment, "Unsafe and Harassed in Public Spaces: A National Street Harassment Report," 2018.
38% of women say fear of sexual harassment or violence prevents them from using public spaces they would otherwise use.
Data year: 2022
| Group | % feel unsafe walking alone at night near home | |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 19% | |
| Women | 45% | |
| Women ages 18–34 | 58% |
Source: Gallup, "Crime," annual poll, 2022.
The "fear gap" — women's significantly higher fear of crime — is documented across cultures and decades, regardless of whether women's victimization rates match that fear.
About This Poem
'When? Always.' is a found poem extracted from a sheriff office website's safety tips for women. It is a companion to the visual poem 'Safety Points.' The title, taken from the repetitive instructions, underscores the constant vigilance required from women just to be safe. The words running around the page's borders literally "box in" the central idea — that women, not the societal structures that endanger them or perpetrators, are responsible for preventing assault.
The dark, sparse space of the work contrasts the busy black and white text wall of the companion poem, 'Safety Points.' The central circle (or point) with a halo is reminiscent of a moon. Together with the dark blue background, this visual acknowledges the "late at night" line of the poem, and the isolating impact of women being held solely responsible for their survival and safety: "your safety… your business… your hotel…".