Naked

Naked Unarmed I stood against the beast Defending what was mine The theft of my guileless innocence His most cruel, remorseless crime Fighting slings and arrows Words that cut me to the quick Lifting thin arms in resistance To his heavy, brutish fists Sorrow comes in darkness Arrives without an invite The moon stares dully at me No magic will save me tonight Measured unforgiving blows He chose where each would land Dark purple bruises gave away Where my body had been slammed With my knack for weak excuses “I tripped and fell down again” He sneered that they’re “just love taps” While I played a game called ‘pretend’ Naked in my bed Protecting a child yet unborn Came another beating From this cur who’d earned my scorn What cannot be seen in shadows Can suffocate one’s will When I reclaimed my spirit I crawled out of the mouth of hell Ages have come to pass since then The fiend at last routed from my life I’m no longer frightened Of just being someone’s wife