Sounds of the Silenced
- Gael MacLean
- Apr 27
- 2 min read
A sonic journey through deportation and incarceration
ONOMATOPOEIA RAP
BOOM! CLANK! The door slams shut behind
Life as you knew it, left forever behind
THUD! THUD! Racing hearts filled with fear
Deported to a place that was never home, never near
CRUNCH go the gravel roads to Mariona
HISS goes the whisper, “This ain’t Arizona”
DRIP DROP water leaks from crumbling walls
CRACK goes your spirit when nobody calls
RATTLE go the chains on worn-down feet
GROWL go the stomachs with nothing to eat
WHEEZE go the lungs in overcrowded cells
SCRATCH SCRATCH skin fighting invisible hells
CLICK-CLACK guards’ boots down concrete halls
BUZZ broken lights casting shadows on walls
WHISPER traded stories of lives left behind
THUMP fists against chests to keep the soul aligned
They said “illegal” like it defined your whole being
WHOOSH went the papers, no human seeing
That you fled from violence, seeking some peace
SNAP went the system, offering no release
BANG! Morning count in a prison not meant for living
CLINK metal cups, what little they’re giving
SHUFFLE feet moving through narrow halls
ECHO of laughter when someone falls
TICK TOCK goes the time that never ends
MUMBLE prayers to a God who never sends
SHUSH goes the guard when you speak too loud
SHRIEK go the nightmares that keep you bowed
In America: ‘criminal,’ ‘alien,’ ‘illegal’
STAMP on papers that seal your upheaval
In El Salvador: “deportee,” “outsider,” “prey”
RUSTLE of gangs circling those led astray
This ain’t a story for entertainment’s sake
THUMP goes reality, wide awake
El Salvador’s prisons, deportation’s cruel game
SILENCE from those who won’t speak your name
Is there a sound for dignity stripped away?
For lives interrupted and thrown astray?
Perhaps it’s the WHISPER of hope holding on
Or the ROAR of resistance till justice is won
BAM! The truth hits harder than prison guards
When humans are treated like discarded cards
Listen close to the CHORUS of forgotten souls
Their HEARTBEATS still drumming — the sound of souls
SIGH of resignation when hopes slowly fade
Yet WHISPERS of dignity no system can invade
Image ©2025 Gael MacLean
