"He Wasn't Cruel"

He wasn’t cruel—

         But he owned her

Possessed her body

         (not her soul-for she had none)

She was a toy for his whims

         A reward dangled before his sons

He demeaned her through his subjugation

         Degraded her

                  Kept her impotent and isolated

Took her hope and sold it to the highest bidder

He wasn’t cruel—

         But he denied her the power of choice

Stripped her to the bones of despair

         Controlled her mind

                  Consumed her life

Yes,

         He wasn’t cruel

Copyright 2017 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman