‘100 Years of Silence’ – Poetry

By Ciéra Cree

In commemoration of ‘International Women’s Day’ 2021.

Disclaimer: This piece is not published with the intent of pushing any personal agenda.

plagued by her thoughts; an unfamiliar voice
utters words of depreciation
that permeate the silence
 
the depths of her mind etched out
in a cross of grey
smudging her opinion
& craftily painted lips
colour staining porcelain skin
is she worth more than this?
 
she holds a touch that’s feather-light
& sleek as a ballroom floor
a symbol of fragility
encased in a false serenity
 
adorning her heart on her sleeve
as she paces relentless streets
filled with dark corners &
societal mourners grouped in an
atypical fleet
 
protest leaks from the edges
of delicately pencilled eyes
fluttering from the lashes of
an unbound compromise

why should women have to disguise
& present themselves with a mask,
to be a walking “pop of colour” 
with a mind kept
sheltered in the dark?
 
one hundred years of silence
& a proudly retained composure
held together with a smile & the promise
of change creeping ever closer
 
she isn’t just an object
which is easy on the eye
she’s not merely a victim
failed by a system
that doesn’t try
 
to mediate opinion
& value individual worth
 
for this girl is wholly human
& that’s what should be put first

Image: Marina Khrapova on Unsplash