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
