have you wondered why
violence desires silence?
the less you reveal
the more blood it can spill
whatever the place
whichever the cause
violence wants
to be felt not heard
have you ever wondered how
violence would lose its punch
its drunken high
should each act be followed
by a deafening cry
that is heard and cared for?
if every time he battered her
or a bomb was dropped
in a place less known
there was a conversation about it
that shamed and named
how much less it would hurt
if we spoke against or heard more?
those of you who choose to be quiet
even when cries come knocking
don’t fool yourself
into believing you are for peace
when you seal tight your lips
in the face of inflicted harm
each time you choose silence
when blood bathes the streets
or tears stain the sheets
do not wonder why
but know that your silence
is not with goodness
but with violence allied