Literature
Society told him men couldn't be abused.
i.)
his lips were
always bleeding crimson,
bruised purple
violets blossoming
on his jawline from where
she kissed him (with her fists)
ii.)
he had pockmarked
knuckles from where he
bit them and thought
his wrists were paper
when silver slashed
along them.
iii.)
his favourite jumper
concealed the stains and
the bruises but never the
odour of iron-oxide, body
rusting over into flakes
before she peeled him into
a pile of nothing (just an empty shell)
iv.)
and society told him to
'man-up', 'live with it',
'boys don't get abused idiot'
because
they all forgot
abuse can go both ways,
and come from
anywhere and anyone.
(please don't forget he