Digesting Violence

Abstract

This poem explores how people learn to live with violence by quietly absorbing it into their bodies and daily routines. It reflects on the ways silence can feel necessary for survival, especially when navigating identity, safety, and belonging. In response to the theme “WHAT IF...,” the poem wonders what might happen if we allowed ourselves to pause, to feel what we have been taught to ignore, and to choose presence instead of disappearance. Rather than imagining utopia as something distant or perfect, it sees it in small, intentional acts such as speaking, acknowledging harm, and staying. At its core, the poem holds onto the possibility that even the smallest choice to not vanish can matter.