Member-Submitted Content
For Sandra Birchmore
Dedicated to all the forgotten ones
In memory of a young girl betrayed by the badge she once believed in
She was just twelve -
Wide-eyed, full of heart,
Wearing her Explorer badge
Like a soldier at the start.
Dreams tucked neatly in her chest,
Of justice, duty, doing her best.
A child in uniform,
Not yet grown,
Learning the codes,
Practicing tone -
“Yes, sir,” “No, sir,”
Standing tall,
Not knowing she’d be groomed to fall.
The Police Explorers - it felt like pride,
A place where law and hope collide.
She studied hard, she showed up bright,
She trusted blue to guard the night.
But monsters wore that trusted hue,
And slowly stole what she once knew.
They crossed the lines with whispered lies,
And turned her light to silent cries.
One man -
An officer she revered -
Would use his power, draw her near.
Groomed and trapped, year by year,
He fed her hope and stoked her fear.
Still the system
Refused the truth.
They knew. They saw. They shut their eyes.
Let silence cover up the crimes.
And then -
They found her still and cold.
A life cut short. A story untold.
He killed her, left her soul to ache,
As if her life was his to take.
A badge became a weapon drawn.
A girl, a mother, now is gone.
No rescue came. No sirens wailed.
No justice yet. The system failed.
But hear her name - Sandra Birchmore -
She walked through doors meant to restore.
She followed rules, she played her part,
But the truth was buried from the start.
Say her name, and do not bend.
This is not where her story ends.
For every girl who dares to trust,
We raise our voices, rise, and must
Tear down the shield that hides abuse,
Unmask the power they misuse.
She wasn’t weak - she was betrayed.
A child, then mother, slain and played.
So mourn her, yes - but louder still,
Demand the truth, demand the will.
Sandra’s gone, but we remain -
To burn injustice in her name.
She needs justice. We owe her nothing less.
Justice for Sandra Birchmore.
Images by ArtbyAce
Poem by Kristen Marie
