Headline Poem 2/25/14 -- Deception

(Photo credit Google Image)

I read this article today from the Sydney Morning Herald, about a new task force to deal with domestic violence in Australia. This piggy backs on domestic violence news earlier this month from Afghanistan, the death of schoolboy Luke Batty at the hands of his father, and the NFL's various controversies regarding domestic violence. Unfortunately, this headline poem could be written every single day. According to Center for Disease Control, 1 in 4 women will suffer at the hands of a domestic abuser.

Deception

My jaw rattles from the impact
front right tooth loose from the last time
now, dangles, bloody before it hits the floor
my tooth, like me, so small
so fragile, so smooth,
unattached, knocked away from the rest, alone
lying in dirt and stains from the past

Run! 

i scream through drool and blood
get out of here

my slimy voice echos
your teeth are too little
to rattle to the floor
only to sit
and wait for more

The promises never stop
like the beatings
i can't protect them
so i take it instead,
hoping those hands will never 

ruin their precious heads 

Bruises are easy to explain
the car door, the shed
another tumble from the bed
the limp is hard to detect
i can usually fake it
until i flop into bed, sore, again
my teeth i am unable to replace
they do not grow back
or fade away

Today, someone will know
someone will see what he has done to me
i pray it is the right someone,
someone stronger than i,
who can see me
through rattled brain and missing teeth