I DON'T WANNA WEAR THESE CLOTHES NO MORE!

He tried to break me last night...as if there was anything left to break.

It felt familiar to me somehow, like a culmination of past hurts...running..to meet the present.

All his words shot at me like well-aimed daggers, trying very hard to hit their mark...

Inside, I cried out 'no, not again...please, not again...I'm already so weary'...but the murderer could not hear my pleas; deaf ears which cannot hear...me.

And what had I done? what had any woman done...to deserve all this unrest?

Somebody has to listen to all these women...somebody must be there...to hear the small cries.

Hey, my sista, can you hear me? cause I 'sho 'nuff can hear you. Your bruises speak to me...they speak to me through that wall, when all falls...silent...after he broke every damn thing in your house, including your heart, but can you hear me, too? can you hear me when my skin cries...where he tried to cut me? can you hear me from this dark corner, alone...bleeding...inside? Naw, you can't hear me...nobody can.

I thought for sure...you could hear me....

Oh, I cried with everything in me...cried so proud...cried so loud...laying there...

I was wearing my best...real regal, I was, laying there in these blood red garments...what happened?

Girl, you know what happened. He chose this color...RED...for me to wear; black and blue colors...sometimes...cover me. Somebody please...cover me!

I see you real good at listening, but I need you to hear me.

He didn't like that God really made me for someone else. I was just too blind to see it. I gave myself to anyone who would look my way...always with the same result. Will somebody please change my damn clothes?! PLEASE?!

Naw... naw...these clothes ain't working for me. They feel too heavy on me. I wasn't ever meant to wear them.

No woman could fit these clothes...honey, don't let a man dress you.

Who told him he could pick out my clothes for me? Who told him I'd look good in these angry colors? Was it something I had said or done?

Naw, truth is, honey...he see ALL women in these here colors…

I need to escape...I might have to leave here naked though. I don't want nobody to see these clothes on me. What would they think? A woman gots to keep up appearances.

What? ain't these dark glasses covering up these beautiful new purple eyes he gave me, enough accessorizing? A purse?! Woman, I ain't carrying no purse! I'm trying to leave all that baggage behind. What you think would've been in that purse, huh? Broken dreams, some change, some lent, concealer, my dignity? Naw, he can have all that. I wanna step light and free....

Somebody, please! help me get these chains off me!

I can't do it by myself. I ain't strong enough...I know I got more sistas. Where y’all at? If you got any strength left, please...grab this end...You! grab this end...pull...pull...pull! Help me let go...someone may have helped you...get free…

Woman! GET FREE! Wrestle! Wrestle! Get out from under!

If I try, will you try, too?