A poem,
A poet.
A song,
A singer.
A sound,
An instrument.
A conversation,
An argument.

“Please just Listen to me!”
“Shut up and go to your room.”
“Honey, it's time for dinner. Do you want food?”
“No, I'm not hungry.”
“Goodnight”

Can you hear me?

I've been silent for so long,
I forgot I had a voice,
I forgot I had a choice.

I talked to myself,
Because no one would listen.
I entertained myself,
Because no one had time.
I took care of myself,
Because I was alone.

It feels like a thunderstorm.
Every comment,
equivalent to the drop of rain.
Every comment ringing through my head,
Like the drowning sound of a downpour.
I try to talk to others.
The thunder of rain being so loud,
They can't hear me.
I can’t hear myself,
Doesn’t matter how loud I am.

Can you hear me?

I'm stuck wandering a maze,
In a thick fog,
Trying to navigate the conversation,
Suffocated,
by the sound of rain.

Can you hear me?

I sing songs,
On a stage with a sound so loud,
It echoes through the auditorium.
A place where they can’t tell me to stop.
A place where they can’t tell us to stop.

Can you hear us?

Sticks and stones may break our bones,
but words will never hurt us.
Negativity will never affect us,
Silence will never silence us,
Performance will make us louder.
Make us stronger,
Make us more confident,
Better at standing our ground.
They can not silence our voices.

Can you hear them?
Did you hear me?
Can others hear you?