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BATTERED
HAVING
MY MORNING COFFEE
AND
LETTING THE SLEEP SLOWLY
LIFT
ITSELF FROM MY BODY.
I
STARED TRANSFIXED
AT
THE TELEVISION SCREEN
THIS
MORNING.
THE
WOMAN IN THE WHEELCHAIR
WAS
BURNED BEYOND RECOGNITION,
BATTERED
AND BROKEN
STARING
BACK AT ME
WITH
HOLLOW EYES.
GAZING
INTO
MY EYES
AND
THROUGH MY VERY SOUL.
A
PANEL OF MEN SAT BEFORE HER.
STRONG
AND
FILLED
WITH RAGE.
NOT
MAKING EYE CONTACT
WITH
THE WOMAN.
ONLY
STARING
INTO
THE EYES
OF
THEIR
FRIGHTENED
MATES.
WHO
SAT BY THEIR SIDE.
THEIR
EYES FILLED
WITH
PAIN AND FEAR.
AND.
UNCONDITIONAL
LOVE.
FOR
THESE MEN
THAT
BROKE
THEIR
VERY
SPIRITS.
LOOK
AT ME.
YELLED
THE WOMAN
IN
THE WHEELCHAIR.
DON'T
TURN YOUR FACE
AWAY
FROM ME.
LOOK
AT ME !!!
AND
SEE YOUR WIFE.
THIS
IS
WHAT
SHE
IS BECOMING.
THIS
IS
WHAT
YOU
ARE
DOING TO HER.
THE
MEN MOVED
UNEASILY
IN
THEIR SEATS.
EYES
STILL
FILLED
WITH
NOTHING
BUT HATE.
THE
WOMEN
MOVED
UNEASILY IN THEIR SEATS.
EYES
FILLING
WITH
SUDDEN UNDERSTANDING.
TRYING
TO
SORT THROUGH EMOTIONS.
MAYBE
IT
WAS THEIR FAULT.
MAYBE
THEY
DID SOMETHING
TO
MAKE THEM ANGRY.
MAYBE
THEY
DIDN'T DO ENOUGH
TO
MAKE THEM HAPPY.
MAYBE
THEY
WHERE NOT PRETTY ENOUGH.
SMART
ENOUGH.
YOUNG
ENOUGH.
OLD
ENOUGH.
THIN
ENOUGH.
FAT
ENOUGH.
MAYBE
THEY
PROVOKED THEIR HUSBANDS RAGE.
THEY
PICKED THE FIGHTS.
THEY
MADE THEIR MAN STRIKE THEM.
MAYBE
THEY
ARGUED TOO MUCH.
MAYBE
THEY
DIDN'T TALK ENOUGH.
MAYBE
THEY
WHERE TOO LOUD.
OR
SPOKE TO SOFTLY.
MAYBE
DINNER
WASN'T MADE
FAST
ENOUGH.
MAYBE
IT
WAS MADE TOO FAST.
MAYBE
SHE
SHOULD HAVE COOKED
SOMETHING
HE LOVED.
MAYBE
SHE
JUST SHOULD
NOT
HAVE COOKED.
MAYBE
SHE
SHOULD HAVE
CLEANED
THE HOUSE MORE.
OR
HAD HIS BATH READY
WHEN
HE WALKED IN THE DOOR.
MAYBE
IF
SHE WASN'T SO TIRED
ALL
THE TIME
OR
SO DEPRESSED.
BUT
DID
SHE DARE TO SMILE ?
WHAT
WAS SHE SMILING ABOUT?
MAYBE
IF
SHE
GREW
HER HAIR LONGER.
MAYBE
IF
SHE
CUT
IT ALL OFF.
MAYBE
IF
SHE
DRESSED
MORE SEXY.
MAYBE
SHE
SHOULD JUST WEAR SWEATS.
MAYBE
IF
SHE
PUT
THE KIDS TO BED EARLIER.
MAYBE
IF
SHE
KEPT
THEM AWAKE
BEFORE
HE CAME HOME.
SHE
MUST BE
MAKING
HIM SCREAM AT HER.
SHE
MUST BE
BEGGING
FOR HIS BEATINGS.
SHE
MUST
ENCOURAGE
HIS ASSAULT ON HER DIGNITY.
SHE
MUST
LOVE
TO BE HATED THIS WAY.
THEIR
MUST
BE
SOMETHING WRONG
WITH
HER MENTALLY.
SHE
MUST
BE
A SICK PERSON.
SHE
MUST
DESERVE
ALL OF THIS.
HE
TELLS HER
SHE
DOES.
SHE
BELIEVES
HIM.
SHE
LOVES
HIM.
HE
WOULD
NEVER
LIE TO HER.
HE
DOES THIS
FOR
HER OWN GOOD.
HE
BEATS HER,
BECAUSE
HE
LOVES HER.
SHE
CRIES.
HE'S
SORRY.
HE'S
NOT SORRY.
HE
BEATS HER.
SHE
IS
BLOODY
AND BEATEN.
HE
IS ANGRY.
HE
IS SCARED.
HE
IS SORRY.
HE
IS NOT SORRY.
HE
BEATS HER
YET
AGAIN.
SHE
WELCOMES
HER DEATH.
HE
IS
IN
A RAGE.
HE
IS
NO
LONGER
IN
CONTROL
OF
HER.
HE'S
BEATEN.
HE'S
SORRY.
NOW
HE IS
ALONE.
I
WATCHED
THIS
STORY UNFOLD BEFORE ME.
THEN
I
REALIZED
THE TEARS
STREAMING
DOWN MY FACE.
I
WAS
HER.
I
AM
HER.
I
WILL
ALWAYS BE HER.
THEN
I SAW
THIS
STRANGE THING HAPPEN.
THREE
STRANGE MEN,
ALSO
WITH TEARS
SOAKING
THEIR SHIRTS.
GAZING
A PAINFUL GAZE
OF
RECOGNITION.
THESE
VERY ABUSERS.
WHO
HAD BEATEN
AND
ABUSED THEIR OWN WIVES.
GOT
UP.
ONE
BY ONE.
AND
SLOWLY WALKED OVER
TO
THIS BROKEN WOMAN
IN
THE WHEELCHAIR.
AND
SHE STRUGGLED
TO
RISE UP WITH DIGNITY
AND
COURAGE
IN
HER WHEELCHAIR
TO
FACE THEM.
THEY
CAME
CLOSER TO
HER.
EACH
BENT
DOWN TO
HER.
AND
WHISPERED.
I
AM
SORRY.
I
AM
SO SORRY.
I
AM
SO VERY SORRY.
THREE
STRANGE MEN,
BEGGING
FORGIVENESS
FOR
ANOTHER MANS SINS
UPON
HIS WIFE.
SEEING
THEMSELVES
AND
WHAT
THEY
HAD
DONE.
AND
WHAT
THEY
WILL
BECOME.
SORRY.
BROKEN.
AFRAID.
ALONE.
AND
I WEPT
TOO.
FOR
THEM.
ALL
OF
THEM.
FOR
ME.
AND
OTHERS
LIKE
ME.
AND
FOR
THE WOMEN
WHO
NEVER GOT TO HEAR
THOSE
THREE WORDS.
I
AM
SORRY.
FOR
THE WOMEN
WHOSE
BODIES, MINDS AND SPIRITS
WILL
REMAIN
ETERNALLY
BROKEN.
STOP
ABUSE.
BY:
PAM GALLO
Copyright:
2000/2008
The
Helpless Do Not Survive Abuse
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