criticizing
controlling behavior
sprained hand
broken house
won’t let me out of car
blocked door
stabbed things
choked out once to unconsciousness
while he strangled
me three times
broken toe
punctured car tire
three blows to the head
in the face twice
punched in the back in bed
name-calling
nose bleeding
black-and-blue eye
held at blade and point
of his knives many times
deep
dark red
knife cut
crying
gushing blood
he said
“We fight because you’re too masculine.”
“My mother hit me as a child.”
“If you tell people, you’ll be seen as a victim.”
“If you tell others, they’ll walk away and leave your life.”
and he casually issued
double suicide
death threats like
“Why shouldn’t I kill you first,
if I’m going to die?”
ni • ko • ru 