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Witnesses in Hiding
today she died.
her breath stopped.
as did her heart.
the sound of a bang
cut off the harsh voices.
the shot was not purposeful.
it was a mistake.
a tragedy.
she needed help.
no one noticed.
why didn’t you notice?
why do you laugh?
she was an innocent girl.
you’re relieved.
you got out of school early
as the effect of this girl dying.
how are you fine?
how are you laughing?
don’t you know what happened?
today she died.
an innocent girl died today.
the cold metal of a gun
was more friendly than you.
the metal was inviting
than the people who were supposed to love and comfort her
I can offer you a way out.
she thought it was better
to end her life
then have another day
where she was being taken advantage of.
if only
someone noticed
someone noticed how she started
acting different
if only
I could’ve stopped her
this girl
could’ve been alive today.
but it wasn’t the shot that killed her
it was the bang in your words
it was the aftershock of your actions
that ultimately killed her.
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I wrote this piece after a girl at another high school in my community had shot herself. Somehow, despite never meeting or who knowing who she was, I cried and cried until I couldn't anymore. After I finished crying I wrote Witnesses in Hiding, because I was angry. No, I was furious because I heard people from my own school saying "Woah, they are so lucky, they got out of school early" and so I wrote this poem from my anger. I wanted them to know that it wasn't her fault that she took her life, it was theirs. They were also responsible for this bright star taking her own brightness away.