Follow
You asked for respect, but never gave,
Demanded silence, called me brave.
Yet in your shadow, I felt small,
A voice unheard, no space at all.
You ruled with words that cut like steel,
But never asked how I might feel.
Respect, you thought, was yours by right,
Yet never nurtured, never light.
You sought obedience, tight and cold,
But where’s the warmth a child should hold?
Instead of guiding, hand in hand,
You built a wall I couldn’t stand.
A child can’t bloom on fear alone,
Respect is earned, it’s never owned.
Had you just listened, heard my heart,
Perhaps we wouldn’t be apart.
For love is not a crown to wear,
It’s in the way we show we care.
Respect begins with how we grow,
Not forced—it’s something we both sow.