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This is What Emotional Abuse Feels Like
Not seeing the signs didn’t mean they weren’t there
I used to wish he would hit me instead.
I thought if I had something physical on my body to show, then I could prove — if only to myself — my pain.
I didn’t know the proof was there all along.
The Stranger in the Mirror
You don’t look okay, I said to my reflection, wondering if I’d ever get rid of the dark circles under my eyes. I wish I could get a good night’s sleep.
I wish he’d let me get a good night’s sleep.
Who the fuck are you? What happened to the woman I used to be?
Shit, now I’m talking to myself again, which proves I really was going crazy.
The stranger in the mirror agreed.
In the Dark
What mood will he be in this morning? When he gets home from work?
He’s angry, what did I do this time? He’s ignoring me, for days. I thought he used to like x, y, z about me? He doesn’t anymore. He says I’ve changed, but I can’t keep up with his changes.
“Wait, what?” I say. A lot.
