Hero - Lora F.
This past school year, our daughter was asked to write a poem in her High School English class. Deciding to write about domestic violence in a relationship, she sees things from both sides. This can happen whether you are a man or a woman and everyone has part. According to the author, the title is based on a David Bowie song. (Excellent taste in music!)
Hero
It’s OK
To stand on a wooden pedestal
Wiping tears from your eyes
Dramatically telling your tale, about your abusive husband
(You are a hero)
I extinguished the villain like a candle
(It’s not every day that a hero commits an act of depravity)
He deserved it
Plus he has an habit of being an harbinger
He also was an reticent man
(Or did I ?)
It’s OK to cry
you are distraught, remember?
Try to swallow your pride
Tell the nice officer what happened
What have I done?
(He’s gone)
There’s red, sticky blood on my hands
He’s gone for good
( You killed me)
I couldn’t help it
(You made an awful choice in committing murder)
Something possessed me
That something is in me
That something is white and... warm?
No like, blazing heat throbbing in my body
Blazing orange smoke curls out of the dragon's snout
His breathing is noisy, like someone snorting with pressure
He along with many creatures, has lungs and a pulsing heart.
His heart throbs like a bass
No. Don’t back away!
Move
Move
(Steady your breathing)
Time to slay the beast
(Alright, this is my chance to escape)
My shadow crouches behind the door
Knife in one hand,
Fist shaking in another.
A flash of silver makes a loud swish noise
My husband has been rightfully killed
In my prison, my husband, the warden tosses, and turns noisily
I don’t know how many times he has taken away my textbooks,
my pencils
And my notebooks
Lately, we have had the Law Enforcement arrive on our doorstep
We screamed each other hoarse that night
Kicked me in the thigh
(Slapped me on the cheek)
Gave me an ugly purple and black bruise
(Pushed me down the stairs)
( you splashed boiling water on my face)
He snapped my legs in half
Even pulled my hair
Bruises, bumps, and scrapes have become the norm
It used to be different
We used to go to social events
We used to go to church
We were a lovely couple
He stayed home while I worked
Surely I would save him time and energy from working hard.
Then the booze arrived in our lives
He picked up bottle after bottle
I never dared to even sip a single drop
( Actually, the both of us got intoxicated)
I am the hero after all.
I was sexually violated in my room
( You were intoxicated, and you drunkenly gave me your consent)
Did I?
Since I didn’t give him my consent, and in my altered state, he took advantage of me.
(Or was it the other way around?)
When I came in exhausted, my husband would act like he didn’t care for me
(I DID care for you)
(Remember, I gave you flowers and lovingly pecked you on the cheek?)
( What a perfuctionary move)
I had to take my anger out on somebody
My husband stood in my way
I punched him in the stomach
I kicked him in the groin
I thrashed him against the wall
( It was domestic violence, why didn’t I ask for help?)
He didn’t even flinch
Even better, he didn’t react at all
He just froze like a deer in head lights
He also was white as a deer
He crumpled into a piece of paper
We had to go to the ER when he started to bleed
(My favorite part of the trip is where I had to lie about where I got those injuries)
It’s pretty obvious: Women are physically incapable of causing domestic violence
(Lately our fighting has become more violent)
(Should I be worried ?)
(Nah we will talk about it later)
We don’t argue very much
We are young
I was 28 and he was 25
When we do, we took a walk in the forest nearby
(Later we ate at a Japanese restaurant)
Slurp warm noodles with pale wooden chopsticks
(Gazing at each other)
( We keep getting lost in our eyes)
We haven’t lost our innocence yet
Our wedding day is a metaphor for my innocence being lost
( I have been in many relationships, and out of those girls, I realized that she would be the perfect match)
Pearly white dress with clear heels walking down the aisle, like something out of a fairytale
( I was wearing a hand me down from the funeral director)
My dress is new
(Dusty pure black suit with flakes on the cuffs)
I had a dozen bridesmaids
Some are my cousins, and a couple of them are my friends
(At least my mom, dad, and my estranged brother are here)
He and I will spend the rest of our life together!
( Or will we?)
I look at him in disgust
At 22, I love him
( She is very controlling)
He tells the truth
( She tells exaggerated stories
Almost an vacillate person)
He has a bit of an anger issue
( She hit me on the shoulder on the second date)
Please. I can give him more than a lousy college scholarship
( That scholarship was for Harvard)
Besides, what can you get out of a College scholarship?
( A very promising scholarship to Harvard)
I will give him something even better;
(Oh yeah?)
I’ll give him our version of a wonderful future.
- Lora F.