My story is for the hurt no one names
My story is wanting to help, but not knowing how
My story is learning that obedience can be a weapon
My story is watching people follow without question
My story is wondering why no one speaks up
I come from questions that never got answers
I come from stories that are untold
I come from the hope that one voice can matter
I come from thought that silence is dangerous
I come from books that warned us—“Never again.”
My eyes see injustice in everyday moments
My eyes see families separated and alone
My eyes see the sick and the hungry
My eyes see the evil that doesn’t always wear uniform
My eyes see the tears that well up in others
My silence lives in the thought of my oppressors
My silence lives in the pit of my stomach
My silence lives in the minds of the oppressed
My silence lives to die
My silence lives beside a voice that is waking up
My voice names what others deny
My voice asks “What if it were me?”
My voice refuses to look away
My voice learns to ask, to challenge, to care.
My voice is how I will never let this happen again.
Writer’s Note:
This was inspired by The Wave by Tod Strasser, and Night by Elie Wiesel. This to me means speaking out and the power of having a voice. This one of the most powerful and moving things i have written.
Ace Hightower | 16 | California, USA | @_theyluvvace_ on Instagram
