In a house where shadows linger, silence grips her tight, A girl is forced to play a game that feels more like a fight. Field hockey’s the chosen path, dictated with disdain, Her father’s harsh demands echo like a chain. “Run faster, be stronger,” he shouts from the sidelines, But in her heart, there’s a longing for dreams that are mine. The uniform feels heavy, a weight she can’t shake, A constant reminder of the role she must fake. With every practice session, the pressure builds high, Each swing of the stick feels like a desperate cry. She plays not for passion, but to earn his approval, Trapped in a game where joy feels like a removal. In the mirror, she sees the whispers of doubt, “Be thinner, be perfect, that’s what it’s about.” So she counts every calorie, restricts what she eats, Hoping that the hunger will lead to her feats. But the emptiness grows, like a shadow in her mind, As the lines of her worth become further entwined. “Am I enough?” she wonders, in a world so unfair, While battling a demon that no one can bear. Her friends try to reach her, to pull her from the haze, But the pull of perfection keeps dragging her ways. “Just one more pound,” she tells herself in despair, As she hides her pain behind a forced, hollow stare. The field she once loved now feels like a cage, With every cheer and whistle, she feels more like a stage. The relentless pursuit of approval and praise, Makes her feel lost in a suffocating maze. Through it all, she’s fighting a war deep inside, Desperate for freedom, too ashamed to confide. How can she escape when the world calls her weak? While the voice in her head is the loudest to speak. Each bruise from the stick feels like a mark of her pain, An athlete on the surface, but inside, she’s drained. She dreams of a life where she’s seen for her heart, Not just for the sport that tore her apart. Yet in the darkness, a flicker remains, A glimmer of hope that whispers through the chains. Maybe one day, she’ll break free from the mold, And tell her own story, brave, fierce, and bold. For now, she battles, hidden scars left to fight, Seeking the strength to reclaim her own light. In a world that demands, she’ll learn to demand more, Finding the love within, a reason to soar.
