Protection

"Poetry, rather than psychology, was my first path to speaking about my childhood experience of domestic violence. Poetry allows for hesitation. It allows you to feel your way into an expression of things that you don’t even understand. The techniques of metaphor and persona also give you some cover. Creative writing, generally speaking, is a way of both revealing yourself and hiding yourself away."

http://a.msn.com/01/en-au/BB1921UD?ocid=se2

https://www.smallsteps4hannah.com.au/

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/mother-of-children-killed-by-father-on-sydney-s-upper-north-shore-found-dead-20181212-p50lua.html

Rose Batty. / https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_Batty

https://youtu.be/hzFsDQeTUT4

Let us hope it imprints hard upon all the silent masks and leaves its mark. Thank you.

https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/sanitized_for_your_own_protection_1249150

https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/the_mirrored_war_room_1225254

https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/another_mans_treasure_1225073

So your chilling comment is correct in one way, some women and some children do wear that Death Mask for the rest of their life. Others with the support of strong networks, who will listen to these women and children and believe the truth of the violence these women and children are experiencing, and show these women and children respect in their life situation, will enable justice to occur and eventual freedom/release from the violence of the perpetrator. Some women and children are able to break the cycle of violence and live a half decent to nearly full life. Police should be the first call. The Domestic Violence agencies, Dept of Childrens Services, and other social welfare agencies are there to assist and will assist with strong support. Family, friends, work associates, schools, churches, psychologists, GPs etc should be encouraged to listen, believe and support these women and children.

These support networks are usually in place within first world countries for women and children. Women and children from other countries and cultures are not so fortunate.

Thank you.

Education, must start at the beginning, with the very young to stop the cycle of abuse. It must be very clearly recognised and accepted, by all genders, that abuse on any level, but with particular emphasis on physical and emotional abuse, Domestic Violence, is not LOVE, and protection is ALWAYS (underline, bold), always, first for yourself and your children, not the abuser. Never ever the abuser.