Satisfied, he falls asleep

Thoughts drifting into dreams

Mad as Hell, I lie awake

Struggling to bridle my screams

Traces of my stolen DNA

sheathe his most private places

While bleeding cuts and purple bruises

defile my most sacred spaces

I gently nudge him but he doesn’t stir,

so I connive a hasty retreat

But flashbacks of an invariable scene

fill my mind with familiar speech,

“ You’ll die before I let you go!"

He cautioned countless times

“No one will miss a dumb Black Bitch!

Killing nothing is no crime!”

His mean and hateful words reduced me,

Rocked my esteem to its very core

But that was then and this is now

I’ll be subdued no more!

My eyes shift to the nightstand

That rests on his side of the bed

The one that holds the cold yellow steel

Which he uses for Russian Roullette

My movement is quick but deliberate

as I slide deftly onto the rug

And tiptoe on aching and shaky legs

‘round the bed of the man I once loved

My eyes remain fixed directly on his

As I creep ‘cross the carpeted floor

Apprehension begs me to please turn back

But a still voice whispers, “No more!”

I seize the knob with a trembling hand

And pull open the drawer with precision

My heart is racing like a runaway train

As I ponder the cost of my decision

But, I have no time for contemplation

And although I know it’s dead wrong

I choose life for me instead of for him

I must get back to where I belong

My deadly gold savior greets me

With a cold and malevolent grin

Where many nights he was my tormentor

Tonight he is my friend

Never one to handle this gun

Its much heavier than I assumed

I have no clue if its loaded or not

Guess I’ll know in a second or two

It’s not that I’m happy that he’ll die tonight

But better him than me

This golden Glock was full of bullets

And now, so is he!