'That will teach you! '
He learnt how to
hit his wife
from his Dad
who hit his
and his Dad his.
And his mother hit him
glad this time not to be the victim.
Whether it be fist in face
knee in belly
or the bitter welt from a belt
violence sleeps quitely
and dreams
of the people it will
come alive in.
All down the years
it mutates from person to person
face to face
not paying attention
to gender or age
or who hits who or why
as long as there is someone
to cry
'....no...please! '
And there is no one to hear
you screaming.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Donall, this is so very different from the light hearted ones you usually write, that it made me stop and cry. It is obvious that the teacher in you, the one who sees the battered children often....shines through in this one. Wornderful writing.