My Silence: My Voice, by Karen Mooney

My silence:  at the time, reflected my fear
My silence: imprisoned me when you were near
My silence: challenged my own view
My silence: you interpret in ways that are skewed
My silence: wrongly, reflected my shame
My silence: still, cannot speak your name
My silence: protected your reputation
My silence: to be questioned by cross examination
My silence:  has masked inner torment
My silence: screams that this was not consent

My voice: could not reach beyond my throat
My voice: strangled by society’s garrotte
My voice:  now risen, will now be heard
My voice: echoed by experiences shared
My voice: calls for the change that we need
My voice: says consider the daughters you seed
My voice: asks do you want them silenced?
My voice: demands that you spare them any violence
My voice: is the mother, daughter, sister or aunt
My voice: now speaks for all those who can’t

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Karen’s work has been published by The Society of Classical Poets and she has self- published three poetry booklets to support various charities. Karen’s poem ‘Unspoken’ has been included in ‘The road to Clevedon’ by The Hedgehog Poetry Press in April and her poem ‘Still Waters’ has been selected for publication by poems-for-all for. Her use of poetry to raise awareness of Bowel Cancer symptoms has featured in an April edition of My Weekly magazine.
Web page :  https://www.observationsinrhyme.com/