It was the look
Of contempt that
Changed everything,
A fixed stare
Piercing right through her,
Narrowed eyes,
One-sided smile,
Devoid of any empathy,
Now an object of scorn,
Written off as unworthy.
A glint in the distance,
Opportunities await
No matter how hard
Thing might seem
At this particular moment.
You have it in you to
Make anything happen,
Your path leading
Anywhere you want to go.
They come from
A dark place where
No light is allowed in.
Don’t talk back,
Your voice doesn’t
Matter here.
Follow the rules
And you won’t
Get hurt.
In a sudden moment of clarity,
She realizes that he never
Respected her.
In retrospect it seems so clear,
The constant belittling,
Snide remarks, manipulation.
A pervasive pattern of control
Passed off as caring,
Actions intended to subjugate.
She tells herself it can’t be true,
While knowing deep inside
It always has been.
The thing about it was
That nobody was quite
Sure what had actually
Happened or how to
Interpret it, there
Being as many different
Versions of the events
As there were people
In the room, although
Everyone seemed to agree
It created a rather
Uncomfortable situation.
There’s a long pause
Followed by a few
Tentative attempts to
Get the conversation
Started, trying to scale
A wall erected by fear.
Devoid of knowledge and
Experience, they wobble
Down an unexplored path,
Each hesitant to take
Another step, a precipice
At every turn.
It ends before it begins,
Where it’s always been,
Laying dormant and untended,
The disease never treated,
Ignored as much as
Important things can be.
Every event was
The same: Stand there
And get talked at
For far too long,
Until his eyes glazed over,
All the while wishing
The purveyor of this
Deluge of unrequested,
Vapid, remarkably
Uninteresting information
Would notice his
Increasing agony.
A group of
Friends at a
Favorite restaurant.
One of them
Says something rude
To the waiter.
No one says
Anything,
Looking away instead.
You will encounter
Many obstacles on
Your journey toward
Living the life you want.
Keep going,
No matter what,
You’re worth it.
The world awaits
Your wonderful gifts.
