There is Joy on the Other Side of Hell

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month! How I wish we didn’t need this special time of remembrance and revelation, but we must continue to remind people of the devastation that domestic violence brings into the lives of its victims, a form of Hell that destroys and kills.

I wrote this poem in honor of the women and women who cope with this situation every day, and to those who, like me, have survived but with lifelong scars. Be encouraged, my sisters and brothers, for I am a living witness that we not only survive, but we learn to thrive, through God’s grace and mercy.

Yesterday, I thought that you were a dream come true,

Your lips dripped with words of love amidst so much charm.

Then, the nightmare began out of seemingly nowhere,

And I realized too late that your intent was always to harm.

The insanity of walking on eggshells when you were near,

I became a milquetoast, a mouse scurrying out of your reach.

You berated me and tried to take away my sense of worth,

But there were parts of my psyche that you couldn’t breach.

Somehow I knew that I deserved better than the pain,

And that you were the one who was in the wrong.

I prayed and asked God for courage to say no to you,

To keep me safe, and to help me to remain strong.

He rescued me from those who were violent,

Evil people who use force and coercion as ploys.

Now I thrive each day knowing I am worthy of love,

And of peace, respect, esteem, and of life’s joys.

Fandango prompt is Milquetoast. Ragtag prompt is Insanity. Word of the Day is Yesterday. Daily Addictions prompt is Mouse. Psalm 140:1 states, “O Lord, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent.”