Written for my aunt, Daphne Caruana Galizia, one of the greatest and bravest investigative journalists in Malta, who was killed by a car bomb on Monday 16 October 2017. Her murder was an attempt to silence the country and let democracy crumble completely, but her bravery has given us the strength we need to not be silenced.

Dear Daphne, I will never forget you as a journalist and, much, much more importantly, as a wonderful aunt who loved her family and friends with all her heart.

You were my inspiration for writing, the one who introduced me to the love of putting pen to paper and believing that words can have power. They really do.

You spoke out and wrote
What nobody else could quote,
For all others were ruled by fear.

Fear was the culprit, the horrible brute,
For those who took you couldn't face the truth.

Your pen spilled that truth
With power and bravery,
And yet so many questioned its credibility.

But there among the candles flicker
The love and faith so many others have for you
And though you're no longer here,
Dear aunt,
Your words and strength
Shall live on with us true."

Megan Mallia