To rid my heart of the jagged, throbbing crack,
I should’ve looked away, should’ve never said hello.
If only I could, I'd take the 'hi' back.
.
Near impossible to show, to neatly unpack
the mess hiding in the wound, hollow.
To rid my heart of the jagged, throbbing crack.
.
It didn’t take long 'til he swung the first smack.
My once-bright visage slowly turned sallow.
If only I could, I'd take the 'hi' back.
.
He’d managed the impossible – turned my heart black.
I pleaded, I screamed, I wept into my pillow.
To rid my heart of the jagged, throbbing crack.
.
He’d done it before, I can tell he had a knack
for making me cover bruises blue, purple, and yellow.
If only I could, I'd take the 'hi' back.
.
Just barely, I escaped before the fatal whack.
Years overdue, I let out an echoing bellow.
To rid my heart of the jagged, throbbing crack.
If only I could, I'd take the 'hi' back.
About the Creator
Cristal S.
I’ve noticed when I follow the path I enjoy most, I often end up swimming upstream. So here I am, right in the middle of it – writing about it all and more. ♡
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Comments (7)
Well deserved placing in the challenge… this is chillingly vivid and full of regret!😳
Wooohooooo congratulations on your honourable mention! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Powerful and painful but important to face the tough parts of our lives. You touched on the emotions so well that the words came alive and hit right where it hurst. Great work.
Congratulations!
This was so sad. You captured the cycle of harm and regret with so much emotional clarity. Really beautifully written.
Gosh this was so devastating but the ending was a relief. Sadly, it's the reality of many woman. Loved your poem+
You came at us with such powerful visceral imagery. We don't only know the pain, but we know it is jagged and throbbing—that persistence is palpable. The internal rhyme of crack and back introduces your writing style with immediate musicality. After that devastating sallow line, I couldn't swallow my own saliva because of how much weight of pain it held. The refrain made it sound like you could not escape the initial mistake, even during the danger. My heart is heavy reading that. The shift to concrete violence and the hyperbolic metaphor (heart turning black) is moving. The kinetic action of pleading, screaming... makes me deeply empathetic.