[Eng./Esp.] The trap of “shouting quietly” || La trampa de "gritar en voz baja".

in Freewriters22 days ago (edited)


Si eres de habla hispana, la versión en español es mejor para ti; debes hacer clic 👉 AQUÍ




What a powerful phrase calls out to us today, my dear friend @daily.pompt. ‘Shout quietly!’ is a perfect oxymoron: the impossible command to express an outburst in a restrained manner. On paper it sounds poetic, but in practice it is a slow death sentence.


The trap of “shouting quietly”

There was a time when I believed myself to be an expert in the art of restraint. I thought that maturity meant being a still pond, no matter how many stones others threw into its depths. I was taught, like so many, that elegance lay in silence and that self-control was our best armour. “Shout quietly!” or “count to a hundred”, I would tell myself when rage rose in my throat like acid. “Shout, but don’t let it show.”

And I obeyed the command. Boy, did I obey it.

I remember that day. It wasn’t a great tragedy, but one of those little everyday injustices that lodges in you like a splinter. Instead of pulling it out, I decided to push it further in. I smiled, nodded and locked the scream away in the basement of my chest. What I didn’t know was that the screams that don’t come out of your mouth don’t fade away; they move into your blood.



Thanks to the Banana 2.0 Gemini app for bringing my idea to life in this image.

That night, the silence in the house became deafening. At two in the morning, my body decided it could no longer keep up the pretence. The scream I had tried to ‘whisper’ burst through my veins. I felt a rhythmic pounding behind my eyes, a pressure at the back of my neck that felt like the weight of a building, and a metallic chill running through my arms.

In A&E, the monitor didn’t lie: 240. A number that isn’t a blood pressure reading, but an emergency code for someone on the verge of breaking. The doctors moved with that silent haste they only use when death is sitting in the waiting room. As I stared at the white hospital ceiling, I understood the irony: by not wanting to ‘make a fuss’ with my words, my heart was making such a racket that it nearly shut me down for good.

I nearly bid farewell to this world because of the absurd courtesy of not wanting to upset anyone with my anger. That day I learnt that blood does not forgive imposed silences.




Come and participate, there's still time. You can find all the information daily in the #Freewritehouse Community. Specifically, today's prompt post:


PROMPT: «shout quietly!»



Cover of the initiative.










Dedicated to all those writers who contribute, day by day, to making our planet a better world.












Qué potente frase nos convoca hoy, mi querido amigo @daily.prompt. "Shout quietly!" es un oxímoron perfecto: la orden imposible de expresar una explosión de forma contenida. En el papel suena poético, pero en el cuerpo es una sentencia de muerte lenta.


La trampa de "gritar en voz baja"

Hubo un tiempo en que me creí un experto en el arte de la contención. Pensaba que la madurez consistía en ser un estanque de aguas quietas, sin importar cuántas piedras lanzaran los demás al fondo. Me enseñaron, como a tantos, que la elegancia estaba en el silencio y que el autocontrol era nuestra mejor armadura. "Shout quietly!" o "cuenta hasta cien", me decía a mí mismo cuando la rabia me subía por la garganta como un ácido. "Grita, pero que no se note".

Y cumplí la orden. Vaya si la cumplí.

Recuerdo aquel día. No fue una gran tragedia, sino una de esas pequeñas injusticias cotidianas que se te clavan como una astilla. En lugar de sacarla, decidí empujarla hacia adentro. Sonreí, asentí y guardé el grito en el sótano de mi pecho. Lo que no sabía era que los gritos que no salen por la boca no se desvanecen; se mudan a la sangre.



Gracias a la app Banana 2.0 Gemini por plasmar mi idea en esta imagen.

Esa noche, el silencio de la casa se volvió ensordecedor. A las dos de la mañana, mi cuerpo decidió que ya no podía sostener la farsa. El grito que yo había intentado "dar en voz baja" estalló en mis arterias. Sentí un martilleo rítmico tras los ojos, una presión en la nuca que parecía el peso de un edificio y un frío metálico recorriéndome los brazos.

En la sala de urgencias, el monitor no mentía: 240. Un número que no es una cifra de tensión arterial, sino un código de emergencia para alguien que está a punto de romperse. Los médicos se movían con esa rapidez silenciosa que solo usan cuando la muerte está sentada en la sala de espera. Mientras miraba el techo blanco del hospital, entendí la ironía: por no querer "hacer ruido" con mis palabras, mi corazón estaba haciendo un escándalo que casi me apaga para siempre.

Casi me despido de este mundo por la absurda cortesía de no incomodar a nadie con mi enojo. Ese día aprendí que la sangre no perdona los silencios impuestos.




Ven y participa; aún estás a tiempo. Toda la información la podrás encontrar cada día en la Comunidad #Freewritehouse. Específicamente, el día de hoy, aquí la publicación del prompt:


PROMPT: «LITERAL: ¡Grita en abja voz!»



Portada de la iniciativa.






Dedicado a todos aquellos que, día a día, con su arte, hacen del mundo un lugar mejor.






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I saw this prompt on @daily.pompt too but i didnt know... i didnt know it could be written like that. The part about the hospital monitor and the number 240 is really intense. It makes me think about when i try to stay quiet at home or school even when i am really mad inside.
Sometimes i feel like if i dont say anything i might just... break like a game crash. I usually just hide in my room with my phone and dont talk because i dont want to upset anyone. But after reading your post it makes me wonder if that is actually safe. I mean i know its just a writing challenge but the way u described the silence in the house... it felt very heavy.
I am only a kid but i think about this stuff a lot. I dont want my heart to make a racket like that. Thank u for writing this even if it was just for the prompt. It really made me stare at the wall for a minute.

It wasn’t just a catchphrase; I certainly used the quote of the day to write about something that actually happened to me, and from that moment on, you change. I’m seventy years old now; and so, the experience of the decades I’ve lived has allowed me to relate to the various quotes published each day.

A hug full of blessings. Don’t let silence silence you. Be that fire, that sea of emotions.

Update: @amigoponc, I paid out 0.043 HIVE and 0.000 HBD to reward 1 comments in this discussion thread.