There are three layers of beauty:
Scars, bruises, and then the cover up
Domestic Violence is the leading cause of injury to women –
More than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined
I’ve seen black eyes replace mascara kits
Make believe that maybe it’s Maybelline
That these violent violet bruises were her doing
And maybe he’d love her more if she was easy –
Breezy and beautiful
A girl can only cover so much of their flaws behind cosmetics
When a man uses her face as a canvas for artistic expression
She embodies hues that Crayola hasn’t even named yet
Cries of anguish,
A pitch that only dolphins can hear
Audio Books in Morris code
We are deaf to her screams.
Her body is a collage of sign language
Pictures worth a thousand words
She’s an anthology of broken Picassos
Each slap makes her cheeks the definition of Roseart.
Eyes are swollen magic 8 balls
You can read a fortune in her tears
Each blink is a novel in braille
She’s used to her spouse being more sparring partner than life partner
Wearing Everlast doesn’t make the infatuation eternal
Wedding bells only remind her that there are more rounds to endure
Anniversaries sound like leather hitting broken skin
She’s used to being bent, and worn out, and cracked open
How do you tell a bleeding woman that red still looks sexy on her?
That her love
Is a silent movie.
That when she’s mute of desires, her body speaks volumes
And that she’s as transparent as film negatives
How do you make each word a fluttering angel?
With a compliment for a halo
A harp that orchestrates revival
And tell her she is beautiful?
No Sephora products or filters needed
She is Isis in her rawest sense
Assata Shakur and Nefertiti in the flesh
Allow no man to taint her sanctity
Hands should only embrace you in purity
Abuse is not sign language
Rather acceptance of weakness.
My grandfather always said,
“Violence is a man’s way of expression when he lacks the vocabulary.”
A coping mechanism for futility
A failure to understand a woman’s value
Beauty is only skin deep
But abuse is affliction of the soul.
The power of healing lies within those who don’t realize their own strength
It is in the hands of our men,
To learn the science of nurturing from our women
For our women,
To see that they are the very molecules strength is created from
That strength is more mental than physical
Estrogen is mightier than the sword
With an ability to re-write history
With just an eye liner pencil
And that our women, are more than the centerfolds we make of them
Rather, they are the essence of everything we worship.