A series of haiku that I wrote for Artists4Peace. This month’s topic was Breaking the Cycles of Abuse
she is wearing a
turtleneck in the summer
to hide fresh bruises
∇
fingerprint necklace
one of many abuses
that she covers up
∇
she can’t tell her friends
not that she has many left
he made sure of that
∇
she doesn’t know why
she keeps making him so mad
she must do better
∇
if he is so bad
why doesn’t she leave, you ask
you don’t understand
∇
he loves her so much
he feels terrible after
says it’s the last time
∇
and she loves him too
so she lives this way
in spite of herself
∇
Melanie Thomason
Wordifull 
This is sad. Hope she comes to her senses. Life is too short when you have choices.
So sad…and it is happening everyday…everywhere.
Sometimes people can’t see any choices. Sometimes they are kept penniless and without recourse or resources. Sometimes they are so beaten down, they believe they are worthless and deserve what happens to them. If it were easy for women to leave, more would do it. It’s a complicated thing and each case is different. Our culture teaches women that they aren’t as important as men and they are lucky to have one. Many women have no money and no support. Education levels vary. All of this is done on purpose and the abuse of women is part of the accepted belief system that is bound to the patriarchal status quo and the establishment.
A sad cycle that is too often repeated. You have captured it effectively.
Thank you, Chris.
So very sad. And – even more sad when the mad cycle continues…
Agreed.