What Made the Offender Stop Strangling You
-After Nettie Farris
He saw his mother, his sister,
himself in my eyes.
The realization that he was going
to take a life if he didn’t.
A quick kick to his groin.
He wanted me gasping for air,
so I wouldn’t fight back when
he blacked my eye.
My futile scrabbling of hands
trying to unlock his.
My daughter made a noise
across the room.
He didn’t want to rape a corpse.
He has standards.
My heart stopped.
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Omg I hope—I can’t even say it. Very disturbing poem.