Shhh… Don’t utter a word

Poetry, Writer life

Oh, dear little girl, it is dead unfair,
You were touched against your will,
Stripped off your self-esteem,
You are feeling dirty, vulnerable, weak,
And all you want to do is scream,
It’s justice that you need.
But shh… Don’t utter a word,
It’s you who will be questioned.
 
Oh, dear innocent one, it is dead unfair
You were raped by your dearest,
Someone you wouldn’t even suspect.
Your self-confidence, your trust, everything,
Lies shattered broken beaten and battered.
You want to hide, you want to cry,
You need the justice to be served.
But shh… don’t utter a word,
And get married to the man who raped you.
 
Oh, dear hopeless romantic, it is dead unfair,
Your husband is with another woman,
Showering all his love on her,
And all he gives you is abuse,
He values you lesser than a penny,
Yet you gotta be his dutiful wife and a nanny.
But shh… don’t utter a word,
Or homeless is what you will be.
 
Oh, dear little dreamer, it is dead unfair,
The love of your life, your career choice,
All of it, you have to sacrifice,
For a man you don’t even know,
The one that your society chose for you.
That’s your life from now on,
You loathe the choice, you don’t want that life.
But shh… don’t utter a word,
You’ll bring shame to the family.
 
Oh, dear ambitious woman, it is not fair,
After all sleepless night and strenuous days,
It’s your male counterpart that get the praise,
Along with a promotion and a raise.
And when you decided to ask why,
Your boss asked you to have sex.
Later, you were fired cause you denied,
Reason stated, you were slacking off.
But shh.. don’t utter a word
No one will ever believe you.
 
Dear women all over the world,
And all the responsible and wonderful men too,
You know what’s happening around you.
Don’t turn a blind eye, don’t engage in gossips,
Stand up for what’s right, give them voice.
Be that one person people can confide on,
Be the support people around you need.
Cause shh… don’t utter a word,
Is all they have heard.

Featured image by: Kat Jayne from Pexels

131 thoughts on “Shhh… Don’t utter a word”

    1. This is a true story for many women all over the world. It’s a sad reality of the world. So be a good person and spread love whenever you can.

      1. Absolutely
        It is quite saddening to know that there are such problems like this in the world
        I shall always be a good person
        Especially to the ones I love

  5. I love how directly this is written. Often, in poetry (mind included) you find emotions veiled and timidly adorned to cushion the sting of vulnerability, but you went all in.. balls out. Great piece, and much respect. 🙂

  6. It is too strong like showing off the reality which was hidden all the times. Everyone knows but they turned blind eye. Your words nailed it❤️

    Well penned😍 Hope all such things would change soon.

      2. Your words make me feel so special 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 Thank you so much 💕💕💕❣️❣️❤️❤️ Have a beautiful day! 💖💖💖💖

  13. This in one of your best compositions, Shreya! It is powerful in its vulnerability, honesty, and the unblinking look at what still exists in many cultures today. Your willingness to lay bare the atrocities of society and reflect them back in the glaring light of real truth is commendable and necessary. The verse holds a storied flow that leads the reader deeper into the emotions within. I can’t imagine someone reading this and not feeling the pain in their own hearts. An exceptional poem rife with your talents and gifts for the written word! I could not be more proud of you if you were my own daughter! Know that you are loved and so worthy of that love! ❤😘🤗😘🤗😘🤗🌹

    1. Thank you so much Brad. Somedays I wish my dad read my blog, most days I’m happy he doesn’t. I’m still his little girl, he doesn’t need to know that I know how cruel the world is. 🤪🙈🙈😬

      1. I understand your trepidation at revealing such personal tragedy to your father. I hope one day you will feel differently and share your experience and pain. He will not think less of you or hold you responsible for what happened, or at least, I would hope not. But I know there is a vastly different perception within your culture and his generational view of the world. Just remain true to yourself and everything else will take care of itself. I am glad you feel empowered enough to share it here, and I know I love you just the same!

      2. No no… Nothing has happened to me, and I’m very thankful to that. My dad is just not a reader. 🙈😬😬 🤗❤️

      3. I apologize for thinking that the poignancy of what you had written could only come from personal trauma. That says a lot about what you wrote and how genuine it reads. It is a shame he may never read your works. You writing is growing, improving, and providing such beauty to our world. I hate to think that he will never know how gifted his daughter is.

      4. Maybe he’ll read. He used to read when I was working for a magazine. 😬🙈🙈🤗❤️💖💖 Thank you so much for being such an amazing support! 🤗

  16. There are so many dimentions to your writing. Sometimes you provide for your readers an imaginary fantasy world, full of youthful remembrances. Other times, like here, you explore painful issues through the eyes of a narrator that you have created with such intimacy and familiarity, it seems like you are writing autobiographically. It is a mystery how writers have this gift of entering diverse worlds and presenting them as lived experiences, even though they are creating compassionate fiction. You have this gift.

    1. Thank you so much Xavier. This really means a lot to me. I’m so happy you liked it. 🙈🙈🙈🥰🥰🥰🥰 Your words make a feel so adored!! Thank you so so much dear! 💖💖💖❤️❤️❣️❣️❣️❤️❤️❤️

      1. I know! 🥺 But I love how you’re using poetry to inform and spread such an amazing message! Inspiring, really. ❤️💕❤️

  20. A great voice!
    The saddest truth!
    Somewhere hidden behind
    The walls of palace or behind the walls of small houses or in the huts!!
    A great flow of words!👏👏

  21. Ripe emotions and the bitter truth of our fucking hypocritical society!
    You did a great job, Shreya! Loved the blatant beautiful writing. ❤️

    1. It’s mother’s day today. And there are so many mothers getting abused in so many houses as small children stare haplessly, crying. 💔💔💔

  22. This is one of the most powerful, most beautiful, very deep poems you’ve ever written…in my opinion…What an amazing message through your poems…hats off…hands joined…in pray….praise…respect…love…🙏❤️✨

    1. Thank you so much Navin! 🙈🙈🙈🙈🤗🤗🤗😘😘💕💕❤️❤️💖 Your appreciation means so much to me. I’m so glad you liked it. 🤗🤗🤗😘😘💖💖💖💖🤩😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰

  23. This poem tells a rampant african story. Very sad in deed. When trust is misused hearts are broken, it is painful. It not a good thing I say 😣😤😥😢😢 This is a touching poem. Your poetry is spiritual! Keep up the work.

  24. This is so true and we are the ones that must change it! Such a beautifully sad and inspiring poem. This spread awareness the best way it could…through your poetry and prose

  27. The reality shown in this poem hits us like a ton of bricks. No matter how hard we try to rid the world of injustice, it still manages to escape and stays in the shadows. Great job on this poem, by the way!

    1. It’s been told so many times… More often in real life than in films and poems… And yet, people turn a blind eye to it. Loads of love to you. Thank you so much!! ❣️💕💕💕

  35. Some master artists create beautiful works with practiced precision; measuring perfectly the dimensions, color gradations, shading, form and symetry. They are skilled technicians. Their work is exceptional.
    Then there are other master artists who have an inate artistic sense that allows them more naturally to follow the same parameters of dimensions, color gradations, shading, form and symetry of the same subject matter, creating their work by feel, from their mind’s eye. Because it is not measured, there is a certain feeling that is lacking in the art of the technician. To an untrained person the differences are tough to “see”, but something is different, it can’t be quantified. The work of the latter has a much stronger pull on our emotions, and so we appreciate it more, even if we cannot articulate why.
    It is this quality that makes the art of a Michealangelo or DaVinci, the music of a Mozart or Beethoven so much more superior than many of their contemporaries. It is this quality, that you kind and dear lady, have over word technicians, you are a word artist. I don’t know poetry, but I know what I like when I read it. Thank you for your artistic excellence, you are much appreciated.

    1. I really don’t know what to say… Being compared to such great artists is … I don’t even have a word to describe this feeling… This really means a lot to me… You took me over the moon. Thank you soooooo much! 🙈🙈🙈🙈🙈♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️💖💖💖💖

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