
BREAKING FREE
I write from a place of pain,In a state of agony,
A condition of disbelief,
I’m in the clutches of helplessness,
As i watch my sister die a living death.
The woman i grew up with,No longer evident in her eyes,
Replaced with a fearful and saddened remains.
of a stranger constantly told,
You are useless,You are not smart enough,
When she dares to raise her voice,
Quickly she is reminded and reprimanded,
Oh but if i had the power,To whisk her away,
Or to reach into the deep recesses of her mind,
and show her,
that she does not have to sacrifice herself,
For this kind of life,
To lose her self
In the name of love,
A love evidenced by dark bruises around her eye,
and scars she attempts to hide
in the long maxi skirts she wears by day,
Even deeper are the wounds inflicted,
by the man she calls husband,
the wounds that bleed in her heart and mind,
With no balm to soothe the continuous aches,
He who swore to protect her,
Now is the source of her abuse and misuse,
Last night I asked her her why,
Why she doesn't leave him,
Softly and calmly she replied,
Because i love him.
And so here i sit,
Baffled and confused,
Looking for ways to tell her
That its okay to love yourself too,
That the only way I can help her,
Is if she first remove the scales from her eyes,
To see that love is not manipulation,
Or emotional blackmail,
That the keys to her proverbial prison,
Lies in no one else hands but her own.
