Fear in the Face of Freedom

Abhinav Patel

Amidst the halls of learning,
Where knowledge is meant to flow,
There lurks a danger, so alarming,
That many of us simply don't know.

It hides in shadows and in plain sight,
This monster that feeds on fear,
It preys on the innocent, day and night,
And leaves their souls in despair.

Girls who seek to learn and grow,
Are met with hands that grope and feel,

They're made to suffer and to know,
That danger lurks in every steal.
Their bodies, once happy and whole,
Are marked forever by the taint,
Of hands that sought to take control,
And leave them feeling weak and faint.

The horror of these acts so vile,
Can never be fully described,
The pain and fear that they compile,
Will forever haunt and reside.

Silenced and violated, tears overflow,
Innocence lost, wounds deep like a blow,
Every day's a struggle, tormented by the past,
Precious childhood memories, fleeting so fast.

Schools and colleges, where they should be safe,
Perpetrators among them, lurking without a trace,
Friends, teachers, students, monsters in disguise,
Innocent souls corrupted, dreams shattered to the skies.

Events and seminars, parties and games,
Crude hands grab and pinch, fires of shame,
Pushed against walls, squeezed in crowds,
Glared at indecently, so loud.

The scars run deep, hurt like wildfire,
Destroying the soul, the heart, drained of desire,
Life will never be the same again,
But hope courses through like oxygen.

Speak up, don't suffer in silence,
Let your voice rise above the violence,
Take action, raise awareness,
Empower survivors, foster kindness.

A single touch can change a life,
Spread love, petition for rights,
Don't let them feel invisible,
Join hands, make the breakable invincible.

I hear their whispers as they cry at night,
Echoes through the walls, the fear they try to disguise.
Their innocence stolen in the dimness of the light,
Taken by the ones that should have been kind.

The laughter and chitchat fills the air,
Everyone lost in the moment of lively swirl,
But the girls who've been abused can't ignore or bear,
The touch of stolen warmth from every boy and girl.

The silent screams echo within their souls,
Haunting memories, streams of tears that never end.
A body shattered into thousands of tiny broken goals,
Innocence gone forever, replaced with fear that won't bend.

In classrooms and corridors, girls feel the fear,
Of those who lurk and leer, their intentions unclear.
Innocent touches turn to something more,
And suddenly, they're pinned against the wall.

I hear their voices, silent screams,
The pain they've felt, beyond their dreams,
Forced into acts they didn't choose,
Their innocence stripped, their souls bruised.

In schools and colleges, they roam,
Unsuspecting of what will come home,
Friends and teachers, strangers too,
Predators who see them as objects, not humans true.

At events and parties, they attend,
Their guard down, they try to blend,
But hands reach out, from behind or front,
Unwanted touches, they bear the brunt.

Someone grabs their boobs, and squeezes tight,
Putting hands under bras, such a sight,
On their waist, fingers try to push,
Intimate parts, such a forceful rush.

Even in public, they aren't safe,
Crowded spaces, where hands can chafe,
On their thighs, rubs and grabs,
Assaults that make them feel like crabs.

Pushed against walls, or into a crowd,
Forced to feel, what they never allowed,
Touching intimately, without consent,
Leaving them scarred, for what they were meant.

These experiences, they don't forget,
In the short term, or long-term, they're upset,
Leaving them traumatized, with scars so deep,
The memories linger, as they try to sleep.

The teachers who turned a blind eye,
Friends who looked the other way,
Voices silenced, silenced to a whisper, no one to reply,
She believes she's alone in her agony every single day.

They suffer in silence, feeling disconnected,
Ashamed, guilty, and demeaned by the vile desire,
Expressing their grievances but most are unaffected,
Their pain redundant to the rest, ignored, unable to acquire comfort.

But we can hear them, we can see them now,
The pain they carry each time, simply exists,
No one's left unheard or unfound,
It's time for action, to withstand abuse amidst.

How does it feel, to be violated so?
To be touched and groped, where you don't want to go.
A sense of helplessness, overwhelms you whole,
As shame, guilt, and anger take their toll.

But there's hope, for those who've been hurt,
They're not alone, they don't have to convert,
To silence, to shame, to living in fear,
They can speak up, and make their voices clear.

Let's create a world, where they feel safe,
Where they can dream, and reach their space,
Where their bodies and minds, are theirs alone,
And where justice is served, for what's been done.

Let's be the change, we want to see,
And make sure that all, are finally free,
From the pain and trauma, they've endured,
And where their voices are finally heard.