Why I Didn't Report?



Painted Poetry by Abunaw Olive , narrated as I and Arts by Gobina Boris  #Cameroon



#EndGenderBasedViolence #Day9 #16DaysOfActivism  #GenerationEqualityStandsAgainstRape #orangetheworld #spreadtheword



Why I Didn't Report?



You're going to find some words of defensiveness It would have all stopped with just a sentence But instead I fell for silence  Where all the reasons enough ? I mean the reasons why I did not report? It left me acting like they were sufficient and that I was being tough .



It was my dad Who used to call me young lad Work hard and tomorrow you'll be proud I thought wife meant , the woman who makes you glad What went wrong?  Now I'm alone...mum breathes no more  And you're on the run .



It all began like it was normal Then it became abnormal It all began like it gave me space to escape and flee when mum and dad start their fight Then...it began to give me fright  And then...it became my family's plight The only time we experienced peace...was at midnight



Mum is either slapped because she never dressed to dad's taste Or because his toothbrush was without paste Yes for every foolish reason...dad visited mum with his fists like someone he hates How can I report , I could not bare to feel ashamed amongst my classmates 



That's my story... It has no glory... But I'm done with keeping this worry I see it manifesting in other families and I feel sorry  It's time for my silence to be buried



Who's ready to join me But before we do so in a hurry Let's stop and give a moment of silence To the number of women who have like my late mother suffered in silence Let's give a moment of silence to all the women who have been sexually or otherwise abused To the ones still hiding To the ones who came forward To the ones still living



A moment of silence to anyone who's dealing with a similar abuse To family members of persons being abused and protecting their accused 



A moment of silence to people who know people suffering awfully under gender based violence and keeping quiet For their conscience and souls must be dead



Enough is enough Time to be tough Time to report without delay The violence ends today .



©AbunawOlive

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