A World Unheard and Unseen

A poem for the silenced, the unseen, the ones still finding the words for their pain.

What if you knew your whole life was a lie?
Always fighting off the desire to die.
Never allowing another hear your cry.
The ones you love most refuse to even try.
Could you resist the urge to escape in a high?

What if there was never any place to hide?
Everyone abandons you, feeling justified;
Whenever you open your mouth and try to confide.
Your truth is repeatedly rejected and denied.
Where do you find your will to live when you’re already dead inside?

What if you realized that nobody ever cared?
No one cherished the memories that you shared.
Your childhood was spent feeling worthless and scared.
Peers labeling you as if defectively impaired.
Where does healing begin when so much needs to be repaired?

What if those closest to you inflicted the worst of your abuse?
Love from another, a feeling you could never induce.
Intimacy experienced only when sexually of use.
Noticed only during predatory attempts to seduce.
How would you heal from injuries so profuse?

What if you couldn’t stand what you’d become?
Forced to hide where your worst injuries came from.
Basic lessons in life neglected, leaving you dumb.
Suffering that’s left you desperate to be numb.
Could you find a sliver of hope to cling to in order not to succumb?

What if no one understood when you tried to explain?
Instead they accuse of clinging to the pain.
Bids for connection are all made in vain.
Feelings shown always judged as being insane.
Could you be content if no one gave thought to the horrors you contain?

What if no one seems concerned when you try to speak out?
The depth of your agony is always met with doubt.
Never allowed a chance to fully talk about.
Judged for desiring something you’ve always lived without.
How long could you remain silent, suppressing the urge to shout?

What if you were forced to filter your truth through a screen?
The worst of your pain labeled far too obscene.
Normal feels like you’ve become a machine.
Denied a single soul on which to lean.
How long would you want to live in a world unheard and unseen?

What if you dared to rise from the fires survived?
To hear your voice say you’re grateful to still be alive.
What if the lies weren’t yours, but ones another contrived?
And healing meant living wasn’t about being deprived.
Could you let the light in through all the cracks, and finally thrive?