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image from google dot com

SPELLED
One dress worn to sunlight, worn to sunset
Then the song of wind repeated through the week
Counting days one two three four five six seven
One dress worn to sunlight, worn to sunset
Whispers and smirks, scrawled manila folders
Yet, office talk never, never questioned, Why?
That was before cell era, children had no voices
Outside of playground squeals of fun, voices
Of children were for loud laughter and nothing else.
The kind you said SHUT UP, SHHH, to
So who wants to hear the woes of a sixteen year old
Fondled in-ap-pro-pri-ate-ly
Breasts grow to tempt, its what girls do
So just shove them out into the street
Banishment makes such things right
And for-get about every-thing
One dress worn to sunlight, worn to sunset
The keys were given, the rent was paid
He brought his smiles, his innocence and companionship
With unwritten invitation, the fittest kind
Did he know why this apart-ment now housed me
Our smiles meshed into kisses into comfort
Into freedom into ap-pro-pri-ate
We ate pao, he bought from the corner chinese shop
Between mouthfuls we kissed ap-pro-pri-ate-ly
Never talking of scoundrels spelled fa-ther
One dress worn to sunlight, worn to sunset
We bought our own house, where our kisses
From room, to room to room, painting swoons spread
Fairy umbrellas are called mushrooms
Some are edible some are not
We loved the ones bought at the grocery store
Edible, nutritious, nourishing
One dress worn to sunlight, worn to sunset
We spelled the world l-o-v-e
It rolled off our tongues into more delightful kisses
French rolls, and Swiss rolls all in the bread section
Daily amassing kids, stoves, chairs, walks in the evenings
Not everything fits in a grocery cart
One dress worn to sunlight, worn to sunset
He had to leave, had to spread his man-wings
My love, my saviour, my hero, spelled hus-band
Wretched women who want whatever wives worship
Who would-have-thought
Now withered and weather-beaten, he's still my only hero
Life begins in the arms of the hero, not so?
One dress worn to sunlight, worn to sunset
I never wear one dress throughout any one day
Just like i never understood, why i, had to be capitalized
Nah!
Not anymore!!!
SPELLED © gillena cox 2015


Written for Susan's prompt
Midweek Motif ~ Survival


Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Breaking the cycle of violence against women and girls. Stopping violence altogether.
CHALLENGE: Speak about survival so that others may listen. Write a new poem because that is what we do.