How loud should I scream for you to actually hear me?
How long should I strive to educate you for you to know that it’s wrong?
How many of us have to be killed or assaulted for you to be on my side?
How many words should I spill for you to comprehend the depth of my pain?
How long do I have to fear to walk on the streets alone?
How much of love do I have to be deprived off to be called a victim?
How much truth should I speak for you to realise that I’m not lying?
How much of my suffering is needed for you to acknowledge or call out oppression?
How much pain do you have to feed off to actually empathise with me?
Amna Mannan is a writer and a poet.
Featured image: Sasha Freemind/Unsplash