ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS

Radiant smiles
full of hope and love
I am given by one man to another.
Signing my dream
a sentence is sealed
my fate delivered.
I am a wedding gift wrapped in paper.
I wonder what surprises
are in store for me.

His fist, a rock
smashes my innocent, young face.
Now I wear another veil
- of shame and fear.
This wasn’t in the fine print.

He cuts me down to size
small, helpless.
His sharp tongue slices
my confidence, esteem.
It’s hard to find the pieces
down here.
So I stop looking.

Rock, paper, scissors
is not the game I remember
not child’s play.

The rock will crush
scissors will cut
paper will bury.

Mother, you never told me about this.