Breaking the Cycle?
Somewhere Between Here and There
She didn't know who she would become.
She didn't know where she would go.
All she knew was that she didn't want to become her mom.
She wasn't going to be two-faced -
All flowers and smiling in public,
but thorns and shouting behind closed doors.
If she had children, she wasn't going to be negligent.
She would never hurt them.
She certainly had no intention of living with abuse.
These ideals
Guided her steps
Into the arms of the man
Who would become
Her abuser.
About the Creator
Julie Lacksonen
Julie has been a music teacher at a public school in Arizona since 1987. She enjoys writing, reading, walking, swimming, and spending time with family.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insight
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
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Comments (9)
So heartbreaking and often true.
The brevity of it hits hard, especially because I read this half-asleep-- I didn't expect a story about two women to end with a man. ⚡️💙⚡️
Oh shit, I wasn't expecting that ending. It's so heartbreaking!
This was powerful and heartbreaking. The way you show how good intentions can still lead to devastating outcomes is so sad.
Hard-hitting, poignant & well-written!
That is the irony of life...the very thing you don't want to be guides you to where you don't want to go. Too true, and well said, Julie.
Its never a good idea for sure to have children with an abusive person.
Well you dashed any hope for a happy ending. Yet unlike fairytales this poem is an all too real circle of abuse story. In so few words you made us love the Main character and let us share her thoughts. Only to let them crash in sadness. So good to have you back
What strikes me most is the delicate tension in ‘Breaking the Cycle?’—that fragile space ‘Somewhere Between Here and There’. It beautifully captures the hesitation and hope of a soul standing on the edge of change. A poignant piece that reminds us that sometimes the most courageous step is simply the one toward the unknown.