My uncle and your sister got married
Our lives, our thoughts, and actions all varied
Yet...we were inseparable
Except, the distance between Buffalo and Boston
Made me nothing but vulnerable.
Every summer I looked forward to coming
When I heard we were going I'd pack my bags and go running
To the car...for an 8 hour drive
It didn't matter how long it took, I was just eager to arrive
I wouldn't have came back home if I knew that...
Months later you would no longer be alive.
We rode our bikes for hours whenever I came
Your mother and my grandma lived on the same street
Back and forth we rode on the same lane
And when I fell you brought me back on my feet
"Are you okay?!" You'd exclaim
The mistreat at home went discreet
Your hurt went unnoticed and I feel partially at blame.
I should've realized something was up
And every time I asked
You had some type of cover-up
1 year passed,
Your house is the site of a news broadcast
Breaking news "10 year-old beaten to death by stepfather"
Another year had to pass
Before I really understood that my best friend, my brother
Was gone.
Cup towers that reached the ceiling
Bike rides while the sun set
An indescribable feeling
An outcry of upset
Years to come of healing
An expert at concealing
A pain so raw, so deep,
Nothing was visible
but inside
I was bleeding.
Going to Buffalo to visit mom's family
Became the worst
Unwanted memories would forever haunt me
And I continue to this day
Walk down the street
With its rigged cracks
That would always cause my clumsy self to fall
I never made your funeral, I have yet to visit your grave
But today,
Your story will pave
An insight into the abuse that forever goes unnoticed in homes
Affecting women, children, and men
But as our religion permits
Children who die are guaranteed Heaven
In this world full of chaos and bloodshed
I still have a little hope in me that allows me to move ahead.
Sincerely,
Yusra Mukhtar
