I must confess, that my loneliness

Was the reason that I

Didn’t do what I should.

I was pining for love,

No matter the cost.

The fist that came flying

And chipped at the bone,

The vase that came soaring,

Splinters so sharp and so bright

Raining down fiercely

Upon my hunched shoulders.

They all made me cower,

But still I demanded that baby I want you

To hit me one more time.

There comes a point, though,

When enough is enough.

No more of that now,

I’m stronger than that.

No more glass fragments adorning my hair,

Just diamonds and flowers

And a safe place to land

While I heal my clipped wings

And a heart that’s been hurt.

I’ve never been in a physically abusive relationship but I feel so strongly about giving women a safe place to go when they find themselves in these really dangerous situations.

Domestic violence is not acceptable and I hate it when I watch the news and see that a woman has been killed by her partner. What makes me particularly angry is the fact that in many of these cases the police have been called by the victim before. We need to start taking this a bit more seriously.

Of course, there are times when it’s not the woman that is getting hurt and I would like to acknowledge the fact that men can be the victim of domestic abuse too. Sometimes it can be worse in this situation because men feel embarrassed about speaking out. This is something else that really needs to be addressed in this day and age.

If you are in this horrible situation, I can’t stress enough how important it is to get out before something tragic happens. There are charities that can help you and safe places to go. I know that escaping an abusive partner is terrifying but it’s a step that you need and deserve to take.

Much Love

Rachel xx