Silent One Poet Dramatic Monologue

Notes About The Poem

TRIGGER WARNING:  THIS SHORT STORY IS ABOUT RAPE AND ABUSE OF A CHLD WITH THEMES OF SUICIDE.

An average of 40,000 children and young women under the age of 18 are married every day. This is around 15 million each year. More than 60% of child brides in developing countries have no formal education.

Today, there are more than 700 million women alive who were married before their 18th birthday. This is the equivalent of one in 10 of the world’s population. If we do not accelerate efforts to protect girls, there will be 950 million girls and women who will have been affected by child marriage by 2030.

Rekha - Trigger warning

Standing upon the roof top,
watching her brothers walk to school,
Rekha reminisces about her playground,
full of childhood innocent smiles.

A sole kite decorated in orange and red,
floats in the morning breeze,
Rekha feels her soul tug at her heart strings -
yearning for such freedom to roam.

A martyr to dowry, a casualty of sacrifice.
What Rekha's parents thought 
was an escape from poverty,
has made her a prisoner of brutality.

Scolded for too much sugar in chai,
water being too warm, 
chapatti not being round.
Cursed and beaten like a stray dog,
for being unable to work fast enough,
because she can't walk nor raise her arms,
after being repeatedly raped last night -
by a man old enough to be her father.

Sickened by flashbacks of how
his saliva dripped on her like rotten fish.
Extreme nausea from his strong touch 
felt like cockroaches and beetles 
were crawling inside her flesh,
but no one heard her screams.
They just shut their doors, bolted their windows,
as he grabbed her neck with his dirty claws -
she wished he would have choked her!

Suffering in silence, the pain is too much,
her parents cannot rescue her.
Rekha wishes she could sleep forever,
because the bleeding won't stop and
her bruised body is slowly breaking,
like a porcelain doll with cracks, 
living in an endless nightmare.

Her mind in a state of arrested development,
questions the purpose of existence.
Rekha stands on the ledge,
waits until her brothers are out of view,
waves the world goodbye,
she is fragile like a kite, 

but cannot fly.

Rekha was only twelve..

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Sotto Poet December 3, 2023 at 2:44 PM Dear friend, reading this broke my heart. You captured dramatic photos of physical torture. You produced an atrocious, unpleasant reality. Thank you for being thoughtful and posting an explanatory note for this heartbreaking topic headline. I suffered so much reading this and have seen several narratives similar.

Bill Baker December 3, 2023 at 10:04 AM Brutal honesty, Silent One. A story that needs to be told. The information before your poem was startling. Thanks for using your talents in poetry to bring awareness to many of this barbaric behavior all over the world. Bill Silent One December 3, 2023 at 12:44 PM Thank you Bill, this is one i wrote a few years ago, but never posted.. its so sad what happens.

Susan Lawrence December 3, 2023 at 7:11 AM How heartbreaking and brutal . This is the sad reality for many very young girls . You have painted this picture with potent , visceral and intense imagery which reflects the helplessness in poor Rekha’s world . Such an important message for all to read . We must find ways to protect these girls . Beautifully written . Thank you dear SO. Blessings, Susan :) Silent One December 3, 2023 at 12:44 PM It is heartbreaking and how sad that so many children have to face poverty in this world today and even sadder when they fall victim to this.. nice to hear from you , thank you.

Anitha Jayasankar December 3, 2023 at 6:56 AM Oh S1, just happened to read this poem ...this is so heart wrenching and painful... I gathered courage to read this in spite of the trigger warnings... how much such girls suffer at such a tender age in many countries including mine...many such incidents must be still happening in villages...I very much appreciate your courage to use your ink to express about such a social evil..child abuse...in a story so well crafted... And the choice of the photo,... oh.. it touched my soul... God bless... ~ Ani Silent One December 3, 2023 at 12:45 PM It is heart breaking and sadly there is not enough help out there... thank you for visiting and commenting.

Regina Mcintosh December 3, 2023 at 6:22 AM This is like the deafening darkness, promising to fade -yet it is midnight's familiar dread, the music of melancholy - fatal and greedy for the death of every joy. It is - mostly, painful. Your story holds so much truth that it falls from the pen like a shadow, so real - it hurts too much to think of. Yes. it just hurts too much. God bless you always, kind friend - may your tale stir hearts to find a glimpse of understanding, a glimpse of the way to save all those who cannot fly. much love, Gina Silent One December 3, 2023 at 12:46 PM Amen.. thank you Gina.

Anonomus Scorpio December 3, 2023 at 5:44 AM Learning to live after..... Is not something many of us can do.... It is tough to be someone elses toy once; much less for years..... growing up knowing no other way.... It is so sad that the world lost this kite..... A.S. Silent One December 3, 2023 at 12:46 PM Very true, AS.. thank you.

Vijay Pandit December 3, 2023 at 5:38 AM A sad, but true story of disgusting acts of humanity in parts of the world. She never had a chance in face of cruelty. A powerful message you convey, SO. Silent One December 3, 2023 at 12:48 PM Some things in this world are disgusting sadly.. thanks Vijay.

Ink Empress December 3, 2023 at 5:16 AM Thank you for being considerate and for putting a trigger warning for this heart wrenching story title, i really felt so much reading this, ive seen so many stories like this and i cant even fathom the pain they must go through at such a tender age when these kids what they deserve is a safe playground, its just not fair and it hurts my heart so much, especially the way you’ve written this is so very vivid and soul hitting. You really are a versatile poet that can write on so many themes. Silent One December 3, 2023 at 12:49 PM Thank you for your wonderful feedback, I do not think I am a good storyteller to be honest, but though I would post this one.. Ink Empress December 3, 2023 at 5:17 AM And forms! I absolutely am in awe of the flow of your storytelling and the depth of this, things that need awareness really although difficult to read about. Thank you for raising awareness. A fave again for me