I’m currently tutoring English 101 at my university, and as part of the introduction to poetic forms we are going to be using a series of poems that explore the poetic narrative from a purely aesthetic to a deeper socio-political stance. The following poem is from The Poetry of Abuse Collection (selected poems by a domestic violence survivor), written by a poet named Christine Hagion Rzepka who brings to the harsh light of public scrutiny all those horrid pains that women must swallow and replace with sweet smiles. The following poem is entitled Broken.
Broken…
your promises
to love, to honor, to cherish to not hurt to not hit
…again
to listen
Broken… my jaw, my knee, my arm, my eardrum, my lip
my heart
Broken…
my trust in you
in others
in myself
Broken…
my dreams
our love
our future
Broken…
my self
my being
my spirit
my will to live
Broken…
by you
To read more of her poignant words in their original format click here on The Ripple Effect.
Of Tales & Dreams 
What a chilling photo and poem, thanks for sharing this thought provoking post.
The painting says so much on what happens when a woman is violated physically and mentally. People seem to prefer to look away from these matters, or choose to forget. They don’t want to know how it haunts a woman’s soul or stops her heart. The poet’s honesty and tragedy makes me want to get my shield and protect all the women out there suffering and alone. Thanks for reading my friend 🙂
You are a poet in even in your WP comments – that was beautiful!
I mean painting not photo!
Just a handful of words, and so understated, yet they are more powerful than a loud scream.
Thank you so much for sharing.
It really is a beautiful poem. It captures how broken the spirit can get at the hands of others. Sometimes all it takes is a handful of the right words to get your point across! Thank you so much for reading 🙂
Well done and powerful.
Thank you so much 🙂