This is my body
an orchard of pomegranates
eyes like doves
lips like a crimson threat
breasts like two fawns
that feed among the lilies
rounded thighs like jewels
hands dripping with myrrh
stately as a palm tree
comely as Jerusalem
This is my body, shared, with you.
This is my body
bone of your bone
flesh of your flesh
sanctifying the marriage bed
bearing the fruit
breasts rounded with babies
stretch marks tracing
the pangs of childbirth
wrinkles trading
the streams of tears
This is my body, wedded to you.
This is my body
sacrilege--sacrifice
punched, kicked, slapped, bruised
stalked and pillaged
split lip, broken bones,
battered heart
eyes like shadows
of a civil war
where love is strong as death
and passion fierce as the grace
This is my body, broken by you.
How will you remember me?
From Broken by You: Men's Role in Stopping Woman Abuse, by Morten Paterson, The United Church Publishing House, 1995.
Synopsis:
The poem illustrates a narrative of a woman’s story who suffered from domestic abuse. The women divided her life into three parts, she started her story picturing herself as a girl, Joyful, beautiful and shining. Then as a married woman, happy, sexy and hopeful. Finally, as a broken woman, sad, humiliated and betrayed after her husband broke the sacred bond of marriage that should be built on love, respect and mercy when he turned to be abusive, when he started punching, kicking and slapping her, she describes how bruised and broken she felt. She reprehends to her husband the split lips, broken bones, battered heart and finally she leaves him the question on how he wants to remember her.
Rationale:
I am usually not a fan of poetry, but this poem by Morten Paterson from his book Broken by You: Men's Role in Stopping Woman Abuse (1995), caught my attention because I admired and liked the simple words the poet used to describe the life and emotions of an abused woman, he gives the reader the exact feeling of women in a violent relationship. Hoping that when he reveals and describes how this humane being feels in different stages of their lives, from being happy, shining and hopeful human beings to broken, humiliated and scared after going through a violent abusive relationship; might encourage men to stop violence and abuse against women.
Keywords: Gender, sexual violence, transnational feminism, women
Author: Blackiris
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