"Speak Up"

"Speak up."
"Project."
"Own your voice."

That's harder than it seems
You see.
My voice was
Robbed from me
When I was
Too young
Too weak
To fight back.

I scream all the time,
You just can't hear it.

Hear me!
I want you to hear me!
But I can't
Do my part
No matter how hard
I might try!

I want to understand
This material,
But I can't!
I'm trying so hard,
But I can't!
Help me!
Please!

I can plea
All I want.
I can scream
All I want.
I've written
About my screams
And pleas
Countless times.
But it doesn't matter.

Writing can communicate...
Sometimes.
But everyone
Only listens to
The noise
And not the quiet.

I'm lucky
If I can mutter words
And they are heard.

"It's to prepare you
For college,"
They say.
But I'm in high school.
I want to experience
High school.
Not college
Before I step foot in one.