Artsieladie Sharon Donnelly | + Follow Poet |
Rhyme | + Fav Poem | Comment | Email | Print |

Behind Closed Doors

Her wedding day was beautiful, when she wed her beau,
Innocent and trusting, so little did she know
About the man who had stolen away her tender heart
And now wed to him she was, 'til death do they part.

The best wife she could be was her innermost desire.
She cooked, cleaned, and kept well stoked their fire.
Her top priority, her husband and always number one,
By day she worked and gave herself when day was done.

Making him a happy man was her role as his wife.
She did all she could to give him a very happy life.
But friends and family still mattered much to her too,
Though finding time for them was becoming hard to do.

Her husband made it clear what of her he expected
And when she took time for others, he felt neglected.
So, less and less time she had to with others share
And for herself as well, but her hubby didn't care.

More and more demands he expected of his loving wife,
Subtle ways to achieve being in control of her life.
Because she loved him so much, her aim was to please,
She was too blind to see what he was working on to seize.

Then came the remarks, he would say were in jest
But then he'd add, she wasn't giving him her best.
He became more critical, increasingly more cruel
And then the name calling, abusive ridicule.

Since she loved her husband, she trusted him as well,
She blamed herself for failing him, too ashamed to tell.
Her thoughts became consumed of ways to earn back his respect,
But the more she tried, the more her husband seemed to object.

Disagreements became heated when she'd herself defend.
Giving in to him was the only way an argument would end.
Each argument he won, he would gain more ground,
Convincing her his mind was the only one sound.

He would then start arguments for the sake of belittling,
As he knew her self worth and esteem, away he was whittling. 
Then one day he slapped her so hard across her face,
As he enjoyed the look of terror he put in its place.

The power from it he felt made his warped ego soar
And so, he continued to beat her down to the floor.
The more she cried to stop him, the more empowered he felt,
As he watched his handiwork add another swollen welt.

As he primed her into being his obedient slave;
As she begged for her life for him to save,
He blamed her for his actions, made her to, agree
She deserved her punishment, to swear as her precis.

And so, the loving wife became a fearful, sullen bride,
Seeking ways to, her battered and bruised body, hide.
Her marriage, an entrapment, she dreamed of escaping,
But images embedded across, through her mind, were draping.

While the husband she loved once became a monster unexpected,
Made it his ritual to abuse her like an art to be perfected,
Her world became darker, more dismal, trapped in isolation,
As her life once so vibrant was nearing suffocation.

There was no one to rescue her because to the world outside,
She was still to her husband his loving, lovely bride.
Behind Closed Doors she suffered, paralyzed in fear
And only with her last breath did her freedom then appear.

Written by Artsieladie/Sharon Donnelly
©2018-04-30 23:14:00 (EDT)
All rights reserved.

Copyright © Artsieladie Sharon Donnelly | Year Posted 2018

Please Login to post a comment

J Hamilton Gist Date: 5/16/2018 8:14:00 PM Just like a mirror...Cool! Login to Reply Artsieladie Sharon Donnelly Date: 6/5/2018 6:09:00 AM Thanks for reading and commenting, J. All the best to you. :) ~ Artsie

Faraz Ajmal Date: 5/7/2018 7:29:00 AM It s such a sad story about a girl, do you k ow that there's a bestselling novel " behind closed doors " which is about a psychopath husband, it s a really great novel and if you haven t read it I ll certainly advise you to so. Such cases are really common all around the world, he problem is that the people can t differentiate between them as the wolves often hide in sheep s clothing, that s a matter of concern and I really wish that every girl should be save from such persons, good luck Login to Reply Artsieladie Sharon Donnelly Date: 5/7/2018 9:23:00 AM I didn't know of this novel. Thanks for telling me, Faraz. I'll have to read it. Human wolves in disguise hone their craft of deception so well, even having intelligence can't detect their underlying, evil agenda. There are people who are mentally ill/compromised but labeling people who are just mean & evil as sick just gives them an excuse for their bad behaviour. All the best to you. :) ~ Artsie

Caren Krutsinger Date: 5/1/2018 7:18:00 AM This went straight to FAVs. Every abused spouse - be it husband or wife, and every abused "significant other" be it man or woman, should read this. It might not help at all but it might make them think hard enough about their situation to leave Login to Reply Artsieladie Sharon Donnelly Date: 5/1/2018 10:15:00 AM Thank you, Caren, for fav'ing and if my words make even one person in an abusive situation to seek help and safety, this is indeed the blessing of not only having the gift of words, but the experience as awful as it is, to speak of for others. Happy Tuesday my friend. :)~ Artsie xx

Line Gauthier Date: 4/30/2018 10:59:00 PM Well penned, Artsieladie. No Hollywood ending for this nightmare. Login to Reply Artsieladie Sharon Donnelly Date: 4/30/2018 11:34:00 PM Thanks, Line. Unfortunately for many, domestic violence ends in tragic results like this poem. I was lucky. A lady from the voting board called at just the right time. I was near enough to knock the phone off the hook & she could hear him & called the police. She saved my life. If writing of such will help to save another's life, this is the blessing of enduring I think. God bless. ~ Artsie