The Only Life She Knew

She was a naive girl A woman but she did not know this Her family married her off at thirteen Her husband was delighted, an old man of forty-three. A bachelor, but a church-going man So her family convinced her it was great! This was 1901, so it was not considered child abuse Until later She gave birth to the largest boy ever born in the county Quite a horrible feat for a fourteen-year-old. Her husband wanted farm hands She gave birth to five more children They were all girls Her husband was demanding. She had food on the table every day at his time His requests. His house. His rules. His life. This was the only life she knew. She was his woman. He lived to be eighty-nine. Her life was everything he wanted it to be. And nothing more.