Inherited Silence
"You only get one mother.”
What a freakish thing to say,
Because she only gets one me.
They didn’t think about that, did they?
“Forgive her, it’s not that serious.”
As if she is the one they sought to protect
They’ve overlooked the fact that I was a child,
Or was I the one they chose to neglect?
I only have one mother; she only had one shot
And she blew it, cheerfully trading it for spite.
While everybody has been quick to pick a side,
I am made to take up the battles they refused to fight
You do not get to dictate how I choose to heal
Or rewrite the years I was made to be small.
I carried wounds that weren't designed to be mine,
And answered for pain that was not my fault
From an early age, I was pushed to make myself small,
to be quiet, clean, and easy to ignore
This, my darlings, is no longer anger, but release.
I refuse to carry what was in no way mine anymore.
Something wrong with this poem?
Replies are closed for this poem.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, 24/7. Crisis Text Line — text HELLO to 741741.
▾ This Poem's Voice
Your Poem's Voice
Personal trauma and family dynamics dominate; some philosophical reflection on healing.
Dense layering of accusation, defense, revelation across varying line lengths.
Predominantly negative anger and pain, shifting toward empowerment and release at end.
Confrontational tone, sharp punctuation, declarative fury escalating toward defiant resolution.
Approximately 20 lines; falls within 16-30 range.
Metaphor of wounds/carrying, strategic repetition; mostly direct address with moderate ornamentation.
Pure lyric internal voice; first-person reflection with no narrative or dramatic persona shift.
Comments (0)
Comments are closed for this poem.