Domestic Violence


Dedicated to the memory of Carolee Alvarado.



I try to imagine how she died.
Streams of hair matted with blood.
SHOUTING
He kicks her
"Cunt-Get up!"
he thinks she is faking.
He has played this game before.
He doesn't realize she is dead.
The neighbors have turned a closed ear.
They are always fighting.
THEY
Domestic Disputes
as if she had any choice in the matter.
But they say it is his right.
If she left, he would come after her.
She belonged with, to, her husband.
No one would protect her here.
She tried not to provoke him. Anything would do it
though.
Marital Problems One day she had forgotten to turn the lights off.
She returned to find him enraged.
Bags of groceries in her arms,
She couldn't even defend herself
when he threw the first punch.
The jars had broken; cans were bent-
cutting and bruising her feet as they fell.
He was drunk again.
He would be quiet and polite tomorrow,
after the hangover had worn off.
He would offer to take her out,
be nice to her to ease his guilt.
She would pretend he would never do it again.
He would pretend he would never do it again.
Things would be alright.

They had been in love once.
Now she lay in a pool of her own
blood and tears.

Marriage







I.1.2
Index