Even some teens have the affect to brighten up peoples days. To the naked eye, peoples first perception on a teen is that they have the typical teenage life, dramatic to a limited extent. But for some teens, typical would be a blessing.
5 am: Time to wake up.
Take a shower,
wash your face,
and make yourself up.
6:30 am: Time for breakfast.
but she doesn't eat.
Fear doesn't linger inside her,
something much worse hangs over her head.
7 am: Time for her ride to school,
her sanctuary, her serenity.
a temple that they can not easily reach.
7:30 am: Time for class.
a smile on her bright face,
and a blissful personality that could fool anyone.
Friends love her, and teachers adore her.
Even the darkest days
brighten up with just a glimpse of this priceless, mosaic piece of artworks smile.
The day unfortunately goes by quickly for her.
2 pm: Arrives home.
Exhausted yet determined not to fall behind with homework
she makes great attempts to achieve her goal, but gets shot down,
and must attend to other duties.
5 pm: Supper.
With only lunch being turned into knots held in her stomach,
she craves for something to ease the pain.
But without being informed about supper being ready,
she wallows in her room, just beginning her long list of assignments.
9 pm: Time to settle down, or is it?
A grumble in her stomach signals she is hungry.
She steps away from her completed assignments and heads for the kitchen.
As she prepares herself a small snack, she is alarmed by a mysterious shadow.
Tonight, she isn't allowed to eat.
Criticizing her daily, threats, commands, abuse! in previous years, it got physical, but now it is verbal. It has affected her ability to have pride in herself. She doesn't know how great she really is. How she inspires so many people.
No one pities her, they have no reason to. no one cares about her home life, because they think it is the typical teenage life... The fact is, it isn't. And she has no way to ask for help. Things her parents hold over her head, keep her from going to the authorities.
Conversations that could ruin the average person, make her "stronger" as some would put it. but the abuse is a constant battle for her. The yelling, the fights, the malnutrition, the violence, all this abuse she must endure every time she walks in that door. Day in and day out, she yearns for a key to lock this door forever. No tender touches, no love nor happiness, a horror movie coming true, but by all means, far worse. She hides herself to the world with a simple smile and outgoing personality, but cries nearly on a daily basis. Nothing can be done to stop this neglect. Neglect, what an understatement of her situation. no way out until her eighteenth birthday. No one of importance who could stop this knows.
This could be the life of many more teens. Keeping their tongues tight, and not saying a word about their home life. Albeit, it is no ones business to know about the home life of teens, but the ones that get abused will keep on getting abused until the problem becomes visible. But why wait!? If teens are neglected by their parents, why should they take it till they are eighteen? They say you learn your most and develop the most in your teen years, if this is so, then we know where the violence comes from -abusive parents. The violence in schools, on the streets, everywhere you look, it all leads from one place, the homestead. Students as well as adults need to be open and work with each other to help these teens have a brighter future. This could resolve perhaps up to fifty percent of the violence we see today. Working together for a better cause works, people just need to speak up.
-Sarah Mann
September 4, 2007
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