Even at their worst they were my parents

              It was normal to me

              The beatings, the screaming, all of it

      And it was always happening

 

Then I realized it wasn't supposed to be this way

         I realized it wasn't fair to her

                                       fair to me

                                              to always be scared

                                                                               or sad

 

Finally, she left

            she stopped crying

                  stopped begging

                  stopped waiting for him to change

                                                          to become his 'true self'

This was his true self

 

Because if he loved her he wouldn't hit her

                                       he wouldn' hit me

                                       he wouldn't lie

                                       he wouldn't cheat

                                       he wouldn't steal

                                       he wouldn't leave for months at a time

 

Love isn't about words

It's about actions

                not excuses for actions

If love is just an excuse, it is not love and never will be.