I look at her battered, bruised face,
And she quickly looks away,
“I fell,” she responded, to the unspoken question,
And yet she wouldn’t look my way.
Caught up in a situation of physical abuse
Why did she think she had to stay?
“Leave him,” I told her,
And she pretended not to understand.
“I fell,” she repeated,
Trying to convince me,
Trying to convince herself.
“You don’t deserve this,” I told her,
“He loves me,” she says.
“No,” I tell her,
“Love is not supposed to hurt.”
She nods her head as if agreeing with me,
And yet I wonder,
Does she really understand?

In the US between 1000-1600 women die each year as a result of domestic violence.  It is time to take charge and make changes don’t allow yourself to become part of the statistic for 2013.  Engage in health and fulfilling relationships.  Learn to recognize signs of abuse and remove yourself before you get trapped in a life of physical abuse.