Silence, once a precious sound
where tenderness and love were found;
Lies now beneath my swollen lips,
once tender ‘neath a lover’s kiss.

My world adorned in rainbow hues
turns black with bitter shades of blue.
Promises, once pledged, are broken,
shattered with a harsh word spoken.

The trust we found in wedded bliss
ground to dust beneath your fist.

This pitiful epiphany –
your quest to now diminish me?
Without consent cannot succeed,
despite how much you make me bleed.

For now my strength absorbs the blows,
but this, my love, you do not know
Your rage and hatred will not define me;
your brutal threats cannot confine me.

My wounds will heal, so, too, my heart
Despite the love you’ve torn apart.