Layla Riley-Hill Poet Free verse

Where do all the voices go?

Where do all the voices go
When told to repress their emotions
Do they fake a smile and swallow it whole
Or do they bury their heads in the ocean and scream

The black voices are silenced
Trapped in the purgatory of compliance 
Usually erased by a history of violence 
Or thrown into solitary confinement 
No light, no windows
Just an eternity of darkness
Voices hidden by oppressive shadows

But what of those that demand to be heard
Voices beneath the earth
Silenced by death and historical erasure 
Instead of words 
Do they make the ground tremble with their anger
Do their spirits control the weather
Do their souls become messengers 
To represent all those who go unheard
All those black speakers 
To continue a legacy of black courage
Of daring to speak up against the oppressor

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John Fleming August 24, 2025 at 2:12 PM Your poetry lends a voice to all those who are oppressed or have known oppression...whatever their colour or creed. I remember Steve Biko - God keep and comfort him always! :) john p.s no more noble cause than his.