How a girl disappears
by Sam Harty
A few statistics:
In the U.S., 1 in 5 girls will experience sexual abuse before turning 18. Globally, about 1 in 8 girls report being raped or sexually assaulted before age 18 and nearly 42% of female rape survivors experienced their first assault before age 18 .
___________________
Start by swallowing the words.
Hold them behind your teeth
until your jaw aches.
Learn to taste blood
when you bite down on "help."
Fold your shoulders inward,
so no one can see the curve of your spine.
Press your knees together so tightly
you forget how to run.
Watch your hands tremble in your lap.
Imagine they belong to someone else —
a girl who still laughs in open fields,
a girl you can’t remember being.
Avoid mirrors.
If you must look, blur your eyes.
Count each bruise like a secret star chart.
Name them after all the apologies
you never got.
Listen for his footsteps,
the door creak, the hush before danger.
Train your body to freeze
before the threat even arrives.
Shrink your voice into a whisper,
then into a silent nod.
An "Okay", when you must
say "yes" without moving your lips.
With each passing day,
forget the taste of birthday cake,
the softness of your favorite stuffed bear,
the way your name used to sound
when someone called it with love.
Make yourself so small
you can slip behind curtains,
into closets,
into the space between heartbeats.
If you do it right,
you’ll become an outline.
A ghost in your own room.
A girl-shaped silence
no one can hear scream.
______________________
Thanks for reading! --Sam
About the Creator
ᔕᗩᗰ ᕼᗩᖇTY
Sam Harty is a poet of raw truth and quiet rebellion. Author of Lost Love Volumes I & II and The Lost Little Series, her work confronts heartbreak, trauma, and survival with fierce honesty and lyrical depth. Where to find me
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
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Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Let's Don't Do This
"I just can't do this anymore..." "Do what?" What can't you do? Put gas in your own car? I swear to God you make me take care of everything, don't you? You know I'm on my way to work right now but that never stops you from bothering me, does it?"
By Shirley Belk7 days ago in Fiction
Comments (15)
Heartbreaking truth - thank you for being a voice for those who can’t speak.
Super congrats to you, Sam!!! That ending is so haunting! Hope all is well.
So 💔'ing. Congratulations on your win.
OMG, Sam. This is just *packed* with brilliance. I don't know what I like best! This blew me away... <<Learn to taste blood when you bite down on "help.">> And I love this... <<Count each bruise like a secret star chart.>> And your preface makes this all the more chilling. This is an absolute winner! Congratulations!!! ⚡💙 Bill⚡
Sam, your piece is stunning and I send you all of the accolades! Congratulations on winning this challenge, you deserve it!
Wow... I felt this, and I know this. Such powerful imagery.. and so deserved to be seen and heard!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your win! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
That's sad, but beautifully written. I immediately felt the urge to rescue that little girl. Great work!
This is... powerful. I'm one of those statistics and relate so closely to your poem. It's beautiful in a dark and sad way. Congrats on a well-deserved Challenge win.
Sam, this hits hard p, as it should. Taste of blood -when you bite down on "help." Then those lines of ‘ok’. ‘Yes’ I am trying not to swear as I write this, Wow…Wow…Wow. Congratulations on a very well deserved win.
Very powerful, evocative and empathetic. Congratulations on a deserved win!
Your article is so true and amazing. Thank you for sharing this with us. Have an amazing day Also you are such a great writer.
Very powerful, Sam. This is a topic that is worsening, certainly in Australia, where I am. I don't think the penalties for abuse are anywhere near strict enough.
This was so heart-breaking. Powerful work, Sam.
This is beautifully written, but the truth in it is so sad. I think this one will stay with me for a while.