Domestic Violence Survivor
i'd allowed you in again even thou my soul
was shattered god was quite displeased as you
hammered your dark fist against my rib cage
senseless i thought an yet you were forgiven again
even more than the last time i'd carefully packed
garments birth certificates and social security cards
while dripping tears and blood onto the blank pages
of my new residence a safe place chanted across
the empty lines then availibility how many beds
as we poured into the entrance the sign read safe
you are not alone an yet i'd left everything i was
centered in a room of over fourteen other women
quiet timid angry how we failed at making a male
happy within his own skin how he'd torn into us all
it was like the same man had beaten us all an yet
i knew only you calm cool collective when the cops
came taking you around the corner to cool off
where was i here in america why i was all races
all religions an yet i was harmed while the worse
part of my abuse was returning to my abuser
how you emptied me into silence covered in tears
black and blue an yet i missed you washing the bruises
with soft soap our children were shattered as i explained
daddy was ill he was sick he worked very hard to care
for us if we were more quiet well behaved he would
respond to our energy and love us deeply as deep
as i allowed myself to be abused this was america
oppression depression family ties became wrath
as i whispered he know's not what he does
we are loved as i planned a new home among strangers
an yet they were me i was all of these women a safe place
sorjournal truth home the harbor light inn the st angeline
christian center chaplins office the salvation army
cornerstone community outreach shelter the springs
outreach where was home in america as i embraced
you served you were ill you would someday change
abuse would become softer cycles will be broken
but here in the in this space in this place
and in this time you became plural that's all
as i soon became very small why i soon became safe
Copyright © Yolanda Nicholsen | Year Posted 2012
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