If truly a husband’s words held up a wife’s head,
Then I would walk head bowed, with my shoulders bent,
The light that once danced in my eyes all but dead
My reservoir of peace and joie de vivre, spent.
The fist proceeding from your mouth delivers blows
Your snide remarks an open palm upon my face
I start to feel the familiar seed of hatred grow
Threatening to asphyxiate my beauty and my grace
As long as you can boldly say, “I never beat her”
What does it matter if my self-esteem is now in tatters?
Or that the shreds of my joy float away like paper,
When as far as the eye can see, I have no scars?
I am earth’s treasure, jewel of inestimable price,
My value abides in me, plentiful not sparse,
So I refuse to cower under the glare of your eyes
I hold my head up high, and they think I have no scars.
My face, my back, my limbs are smooth as baby’s bottom
There are no crutches, no band aids, no doctor’s letters,
And so my lashes, my pain and tears they cannot fathom
“Did he abuse you? And if he did where are the scars?”
Mountain or molehill, it makes no difference to me,
Strength lives in my heart to love, to forgive and stay;
But when tall mountain comes crashing into salty sea,
That very strength will guide this woman’s feet away.
For Hodiya, the resilient.
anafricandiva 
Great poem. There may be more scars than we see, when verbal abuse is the form of love that we receive on marriage’s lea.
On land or sea may this our portion never be.
Thanks you! I love your rhyme, will check out your blog 🙂
Lovely poem… showed it to a friend and here’s a sequel He wrote:
I would not like to be this wife
To suffer from so much strife
To have my heart always bleed like it has been cut by a knife
To live less than a hale and hearty life
Why love with so much pain?
Why feel like life is such a drain?
No one sees my invisible tear stain
Or bothers to look beyond the momentary gain
Today I vow, no longer again
I will leave his false shelter and stand in the rain
I will choose my own brand of pain
I will leave with the next train
hehehe….. hope you like it. I’d love to send you a mail… is that ok?
Hahahahaha wonderful! Give her my warm greetings 😀 Of course you can email me. pinpointcreativesatyahoodotcom
It’s “him”, not “her” *smiles*……. I will be in touch. Thanks.