Respect Our Daughters

In the shadows of her once-trusted home,
A young woman's light was dimmed, innocence stolen,
Betrayed by family, her safe haven now a tomb,
Screams for help echoed, but her cries were swallowed.

She turned inward, seeking solace in self-harm,
As the judgment of her community grew,
The very ones who failed to sound the alarm,
Now cast her out, their gaze a heavy hue.

Scars etched on skin, a silent testimony,
Of the trauma she endured, the pain she bore,
Yet her community, in their callous apathy,
Refused to listen, to open hearts once more.

Still, she holds on, a glimmer of hope in sight,
Praying that today, someone will hear her plight.

They stole her breath like thieves in darkened night,
Her name reduced to whispers, numbers, shame.
Behind locked doors that blocked the stars from sight,
She held onto the echo of her name.

Through bitter days and endless nights of fear,
She kept one spark of hope beneath her skin,
Though chains bound flesh, her spirit persevered,
Refusing to let darkness seep within.

Then freedom came, like dawn breaks through the storm,
Each step away, a victory hard-won,
Her strength emerged, a phoenix taking form,
From ashes of the life that came undone.

Now standing tall, she helps others take flight,
Her story burns like stars through darkest night.

In fierce defiance of her former cage,
She writes her freedom on life's turning page.