Quiet Violence: A Poem by M.A. Canlas at Inkitt

Story Notes

The poem that follows was written with the intention of building empathy and understanding around self-harm - not to glorify it, but to give language to a pain that often goes unseen and unspoken.

If you have ever loved someone who struggles with this, I hope this helps you understand a little more of what lives beneath the surface. If you work in mental health, education, or advocacy, I hope this is a tool you can use. And if this topic is something you encounter in your own life's work, I hope it reminds you why that work matters.

This is not a piece meant to be consumed lightly. It is meant to make you sit with discomfort - because the people living this experience don't get the option of looking away.

Read with an open heart.

Summary

"The silence around it hurt almost as much as everything else." "It was the only thing that felt like mine - my pain, my response, my secret." "People kept asking if I was okay. Nobody asked what okay even meant to me anymore." "The hardest part wasn't the pain. It was pretending, every single day, that there was no pain." "I wore long sleeves in summer and called it a fashion choice. Nobody questioned it. I wish someone had." - Anonymous

Genre: Poetry

Author: M.A. Canlas

Status: Complete

Chapters: 3

Rating: n/a

Age Rating: 18+

Note

I wrote this because silence has never saved anyone.

If this makes you uncomfortable, good.

Discomfort means you’re paying attention.

That’s all I’m asking.