Unheard, buried in
they told her she had sinned
The sin of being a girl

Unheard she was
from her first cry
Unheard she was
for her voice was croaked
and her tears ran dry

She dream't as a child
No inhibitions
No chains
She was free and wild

But she was tamed
tortured or honed
By norms and rules
sticks and stones

Samia Shahid 28, killed for honor by ex-husband with the family’s involvement for changing sect

She forgot to speak
sing, laugh and weep
No dreams no expressions
It was like an abortion

Abortion of the self!
Of the reasoning and ability
Of reckoning
Of liberty

Now she was absolved of her sin
unheard, buried in

Every now and then
her heart would flutter for the light
Every now and then
her voice would quiver to express her plight

Unheard, buried in
still locked up in a ditch within

She yearned to love
she yearned to learn
to fly untethered
to walk unhindered.

Often would she peer out from the crevices within
for a glimpse of the ground above
the green grass, the blue sky
the birds that flutter by

Hina Shahnawaz, a financially strong and independent woman who supported her family was killed by her relatives for being independent and working

Unheard, buried in
dreaming from the pit within.

She noticed it all
the dark of the night
the glinting stars
the waning and waxing of the moon
and again the morning light

Unheard, buried in
hoping from the heart locked in

The shifting sands
the changing tide
gave her hope
gave her strength to rise

Irum Saeed became an acid burn victim at the age of 18, when she refused a boy’s proposal for marriage and he threw acid on her

Unheard, buried in
rising from the ashes within

Blue bruises
swollen eyes
she suffered enough
now she wont compromise

Unheard, buried in
struggling to change from within

She mustered the courage to step out
it was indeed a new world
but it was the Man's world

unheard but striving on

she was afraid
she was lost
she was stepped on
she was crumpled upon

Qandeel Baloch 26, killed for honor for misbehaving and being bold

Unheard, drowning again

She missed her pit underground
It seemed like a sanctuary now
Maybe they were right
Maybe she did wrong to step outside

Unheard, burrowing in
finding sanctuary in the ground within

It was wrong to dwell on hope she thought
It was wrong to learn and fight
This is my world she thought
underground without light.