I read a poem by Mary Jo Hoose, titled:  “Broken Bruised And Busted” (which is located on this site) – if you have not read her poem, you need to –now.   Her poem, written with a brutal honesty, touched my heart and brought an awareness of the violence that many women endure in relationships.   Sadly, this violence will hold many in bondage.  But some will overcome the violence -- to survive, to draw strength from the wounds (physical, mental, and emotionally) to forgive and to live courageously and boldly.  So I wanted to honor this “country girl” with a haiku, nature and human nature can strike deadly damage.

I know most of you can put words and images together much better than I can – so I would encourage anyone whose heart is stirred by Mary’s poem to add their thoughts and poems so that together we may bring more awareness of this violence against women and to provide hope and encouragement to the battered women -- live freely.

As I read "Broken Bruised And Busted,"  I remembered this:   a storm was coming in off the Mediterranean Sea – lightning was coming straight down into the water, a moment later a loud crack of the thunder.  Then the rain, the wind . . . the violence of the storm . . .  devastation . . .  the power went out.   Quick, terrible and violent . . .