A Butterfly Through the Storm -- Plus a Call For Submissions For Christmas Poems

Christmas poetry submissions call below poem... A Butterfly through the Storm By Stacy Savage When they first dated He treated her good, And did all the things That boyfriends should. He gave her compliments And made her grin, With stars in her eyes And feelings within. She was eighteen. He was her first love. He was all that She was dreaming of. Then as time had passed, He showed another side. He had two personalities, Like Jekyll and Hyde. He talked down to her And made her cry. He’d steal from her And then he’d lie. But she was in love And couldn’t break free, For his good side Was all she could see. He beat her once And she left him then, But after months, She went back again. She wasn’t back long And they got in a fight. Then he strangled her With all his might. She almost passed out And was gasping for air. Then he let her go As if he cared. He looked at her As she yelled and cried And said how he wished That she had died. She was devastated And left him again, But unfortunately, That wasn’t the end. A couple weeks later, She found her way back. And soon, there would be Another attack. They got into an argument And he beat her once more. He picked her up high And threw her to the floor. She was bruised all over And although it was tough, She finally decided, Enough was enough. Two days went by And she went to the cops. She knew the string of violence Had to stop. She began to realize She didn’t deserve a man Who called her names And raised his hand. She broke away And found her voice. She finally made The wisest choice To leave behind A worthless man Who will never, ever Lay a hand On her again, For she said goodbye And now, She is a butterfly-- She can spread her wings And move on with strife And enjoy all The pleasures of life, Without the bruises And all the pain. She found the rainbow After the rain. Thank God for helping Her break away. Now, she lives Another day, With a smile on her face And a future bright. Domestic violence Is never alright! Submissions are now being accepted for a Christmas poetry anthology. Poets may submit one to two Christmas poems, up to 32 lines each, for consideration. The editor is looking for poems that embrace the Christmas spirit. Poems about soldiers at Christmas are also welcome since the proceeds from the book will be going to Operation Gratitude – an organization that sends care packages to U.S. Military. Previously published poems are acceptable. The deadline for submissions is August 15, 2015. Complimentary copies will not be given to contributors since the proceeds and copies of the book will be going to Operation Gratitude, but copies will be available at a reasonable price. The title of the anthology will be chosen from one of the poem titles featured in the book. Email submissions to: stacyrsavage@yahoo.com.