They placed a constraint upon her,
shackles now weighing down her wrists.
Tendrils slip past her cheek, drenched in blood and sweat
bits are dried, and others wet
As the bite of metal tears into the tender skin
She wonders how did she wind up here?
What was her sin?
Was it the beauty of her face, bronze and supple as sweet as a young doe’s
But why, then, would she carry such deep-felt woes?
Shouldn’t something so precious be allowed to flourish not be kept in silence, beaten, ridiculed, and forgotten
always wondering…
why was she forgotten?
Her voice was muffled with a loud slap
and stripped of her dignity, they beat her with everything..
whack.
whack.
whack.
Her cries were met with a roar of berating – words full of envy, cruelty…focused on hating.
Her spirit eventually wore completely down
and in time she was quieted…her voice no longer found.
Society branded her for speaking out her truth, and carried her through this new Age Inquisition – robbing her of her youth.
She is your daughter.
And she is mine.
Let’s hope we can change this
before we run out of time.
© 2020 Sai Marie Johnson
POETRY FESTIVAL. Submit to site for FREE. Submit for actor performance. Submit poem to be made into film. 