Chains of Fear

By Maria Tresa John

A doctor in white, now drenched in red,

A life of healing, cut short by dread.

She walked with purpose, hope in her stride,

But the world was cruel, and so she died.

Was it her clothes, her smile too bright?

Did she walk alone in the dark of night?

Was she too friendly, too bold, too free?

Or just a woman, like you and me?

They say “men will be men,” it’s the age-old lie,

But does that excuse the tears we cry?

Our mothers, sisters, daughters too,

All bound by chains, what can they do?

How can a parent now dare to dream,

When fear turns every night into a scream?

Will they let her chase her goals so high,

Or keep her close, where tears can’t dry?

No, it’s not her fault, it never was,

It’s the silence that lets this madness pass.

Until we break these chains of fear,

Our world stays dark, and pain stays near.

By Maria Tresa John