Battered but Not Broken (A Poem)
Reflections on Domestic Violence, Power, and the Fight for Women’s Rights in October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month
I’ve been thinking a lot about the election in the USA, how women’s rights are at stake, and how the discourse from many claims that anyone considered “other” is dangerous or sub-human. My parents immigrated from Colombia. I’m Latina, an introvert, and, as a child, shy. I didn’t speak English when I first attended school. So, of course, I was a perfect target for bullies. Over my life, I have had my fair share of bullies, narcissists, and people who thought they were better than me in some way. My memoir, The Shaman’s Wife, recounts how I unconsciously surrendered my agency to a man I thought wiser than me, a man I loved, who used his power to dominate me until I was able to escape and reclaim my life. And I’ve known other women who were demeaned, raped, or killed by men who could not stand a woman speaking her truth.
Although men can be domestic violence victims, 71% of domestic violence victims are women. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that globally, about 35% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner or non-partner in their lifetime. These numbers underscore the alarming prevalence of domestic violence against women. (Source: Consumer Shield)
The History of Domestic Violence Month
Domestic Violence Awareness Month evolved from the “Day of Unity” held in October 1981 and conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The “Day of Unity” soon evolved into a week, and in October of 1987, the first National Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed. In 1989, Congress passed Public Law 101–112, officially designating October of that year as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Such legislation has been passed each year since.
I recently looked up a poem I had written in the 1990s while on the board of the YWCA in Anne Arundel County, where I used to live. I’m hopeful there will be a solid response to support women’s rights in the USA election. As domestic violence haunts the lives of millions of women, the upcoming election offers a chance to vote for change, justice, and the protection of those most vulnerable.
Here is the poem; it’s called…
Battered
You beat me for every word I say,
like every-day china I am chipped
and broken into pieces
by blows and words.
I cry for all
of me
beaten and broken
women children
flesh, bone, blood
exposed.
Words,
disguised as truths
protect you
man woman
husband wife
owner property
Tomorrow,
they will find me
broken into jagged pieces,
bloody remnants of woman
flesh, bone, blood
carried out and
buried
anonymously,
word by word.
Alicia M. Rodriguez is a Latina writer, storyteller, and published author celebrated for exploring culture and spirituality. Her award-winning memoir, The Shaman’s Wife: A Mystical Journey of Surrender and Self-Discovery, recounts her eight-year journey of self-discovery with an Ecuadorian shaman. Alicia resides in the Algarve, Portugal, where she hosts retreats empowering clients to discover meaning and purpose in their lives.
