Abused

There’s wrath behind her smile.
Her jaw is set in thunder.
A coil of hard contempt
lies deep inside her limbs
and if she comes determined to caress
it’s only then to see
how easily she’s able to draw blood
There’s nothing I can do
or say to soften her away
from all the miseries
she’s known from other men
that thoughtless words of mine
have brought back to her memory,
reminding her of just how much
their hold on her survives.