Beads on a string

It’s come down to

Beads on a string

Where I am a worker

No longer a woman

Who believes he hits me

Because he loves me

And in moments

Best reserved

For the insane

Sometimes I miss it –

That place where

I thought I belonged

But I would rather

String beads and

Remain untouched

Than live with the

Deafening silence

That resounds

When skin

Splits open

And blood

Flows freely

From being touched

Much too hard

I’d rather have

Beads on a string

Than beatings

(Written for 'Shakthi: A Celebration of Femininity,' a fundraiser for Emerge Lanka Foundation to spread awareness about sexual assault/abuse through artistic avenues. See http://emergeglobal.org/ or emergeglobal.org/emerge-lanka-foundation/)