Amongst the autumn colored gravel path, footsteps silently padded amongst the colorful leaves.
“Tell me,” the boy said to the girl, “what are your good points?”
“I am Honest. I do not fraud my thoughts and ideas.” The girl replied her voice as soft as the humming autumn breeze.
The boy laughed.
“You are a hypocrite.” The boy spat, “How can you say that you’re honest?”
Eyes as fragile as glass, the girl tilted her head and stared at the boy.
“How can you say that I’m not honest?” She whispered, “What can you prove?”
The boy snickered.
“You do not speak your own thoughts at all; you wait for others to approve of you. The teacher asks you a question, and you sit there, hesitating. Your measly little group of friends laughs and chatters rowdily, yet you stand at the brim of the circle, silent and unnoticed. People ask and talk to you, but you ignore that person, head lowered, and stare at the floor as if you’re about to cry, how can you say that you’re honest? You’re a mute girl.”
The girl bent down and picked up a green leaf, lying isolated amongst the harmony of red, orange, yellow leaves, and she gently stroked the trodden stem.
“It’s true, I am a mute girl.” The girl said, her voice low and humble, “But I do not speak because i don’t want to speak out my thoughts, I do not speak because whirling inside my brain is a hundred, a thousand, a million voices, screaming out ideas and shouting out complaints and thoughts, I do not speak because I’m a naturally silent girl. I had never lied before, because I am honest. And I use honesty in a silent way.”
Eyes as cold as the freezing weather, mouth twisted up into an intimidating scorn, The boy kicked the girl, and she fell to the ground, her new red coat covered in fiery autumn leaves.
“You are a hypocrite.” He seethed, “and you still stand there, lying to me and yourself? You’re a disgusting girl.”
Tap Tap Tap…the boy left the girl, still lying across the cold, freezing ground, still covered in sad, autumn leaves.
“That’s why I use silent honesty…” the girl whispered to the boy’s leaving back, “Because if I don’t, bullies like you will destroy my life.”
“Tell me,” the boy said to the girl, “what are your good points?”
“I am Honest. I do not fraud my thoughts and ideas.” The girl replied her voice as soft as the humming autumn breeze.
The boy laughed.
“You are a hypocrite.” The boy spat, “How can you say that you’re honest?”
Eyes as fragile as glass, the girl tilted her head and stared at the boy.
“How can you say that I’m not honest?” She whispered, “What can you prove?”
The boy snickered.
“You do not speak your own thoughts at all; you wait for others to approve of you. The teacher asks you a question, and you sit there, hesitating. Your measly little group of friends laughs and chatters rowdily, yet you stand at the brim of the circle, silent and unnoticed. People ask and talk to you, but you ignore that person, head lowered, and stare at the floor as if you’re about to cry, how can you say that you’re honest? You’re a mute girl.”
The girl bent down and picked up a green leaf, lying isolated amongst the harmony of red, orange, yellow leaves, and she gently stroked the trodden stem.
“It’s true, I am a mute girl.” The girl said, her voice low and humble, “But I do not speak because i don’t want to speak out my thoughts, I do not speak because whirling inside my brain is a hundred, a thousand, a million voices, screaming out ideas and shouting out complaints and thoughts, I do not speak because I’m a naturally silent girl. I had never lied before, because I am honest. And I use honesty in a silent way.”
Eyes as cold as the freezing weather, mouth twisted up into an intimidating scorn, The boy kicked the girl, and she fell to the ground, her new red coat covered in fiery autumn leaves.
“You are a hypocrite.” He seethed, “and you still stand there, lying to me and yourself? You’re a disgusting girl.”
Tap Tap Tap…the boy left the girl, still lying across the cold, freezing ground, still covered in sad, autumn leaves.
“That’s why I use silent honesty…” the girl whispered to the boy’s leaving back, “Because if I don’t, bullies like you will destroy my life.”
~Silent Honesty, by Anonymous
“There are too many people getting bullied, but in the end, they’re too afraid to speak up for themselves, because if they do, more people will bully them.”
You Will Rise Project 