By vowing not to speak,
I vow to listen to those
Whose voices have been silenced.

By vowing to close my lips,
I am sparing hollow words,
Heinous words
Spurred on by impulse or anger.

By sparing my words,
I give them to those
At a loss
For shouting what must be heard.

By holding my tongue
I open the ears
Of them who strain to hear the word.

Today I shed light on those dwelling in darkness!
Today I give hope to those whose legs do tremble.

And I am not alone.

For we who choose silence over screams
Let the screaming silents be heard!

04/25/2008

Author's Note: "The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-GLBTQ name-calling, bullying, and harassment in schools. This year's event will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a California 8th-grader who was shot and killed February 12, 2008 by a classmate, because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to participate today (4/25) so that Lawrence and the countless others who endure anti-GLBTQ bias will not be forgotten. "

Posted on 04/25/2008
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