"Battered"

Whoever said you only hurt the ones you love

Probably was beaten up by someone who claimed they loved them

Someone who got caught up in the moment, who fell “victim” to a mindless rage 

I say mindless 

because I assume you have a conscience but chose to ignore it… she must have been asking for it

If someone makes you so angry you need to hurt them

Leave… or seek therapy… or drop down to your knees

You can do anything you please, except beat them

Someone who solves their problems with their fists or the back of their hand will never understand

That every unfair fight makes you less of a man

Her strength threatens you, so you threaten too, but there is no way to justify black and blue

The culture we live in, we have to be tough but it’s tough to be men

Is that tougher than losing an argument? It can’t be any tougher than beating that woman

It was the booze, she went beserk- I’m under so much pressure at work

Like we could ever believe the excuses of a jerk who jerks his hand

Until it lands across the face of someone who cares more about you than you do about her

And there’s no saying I’m sorry because actions speak louder than words

when you hit her, you said everything you have to say about the kind of man you are

You said, Hi I’m a dick who can’t get hard

I’m a man who can’t stand erect, unless I’m standing over her self respect

He does it because that’s the way his father treated him, you see he’s a product of a different time

But times change and those who do not are defined by them

When I was little, I watched my dad slap my mom before I knew what was going on 

And at first I was scared but eventually I became aware that she wasn’t asking for it

The fear dissipated and anger was generated and generations of abuse would not be tolerated

So I know that line ends with me, because I couldn’t stand to see mom cry

No excuse is gonna excuse another battered lie

And if someone abused you, it doesn’t make it okay because you must’ve forgot how you felt that day

You forgot what’s like to be scared, you forgot what it’s like to forget

I’ll bet when you were a kid you probably abused your pets

The percentages say one of them could be here right now, nodding their head to this piece

But peace wasn’t with you when you ceased to be human
when you were wrong and you knew it.

But now you sit silent, why do you have to hide it? 

Because cowards don’t show up until they have the power

Until it’s you and her and no one’s around, they can’t be who they really are in front of a crowd

That’s why he hides- He won’t dare lift a hand when I could lift mine… 

you’re a predator, but I can see you

There might not be any way to reach you, but damn if we can’t band together and teach you

and if we have to, we’ll rise up  and beat U

If you had the nerve to stand up I swear I would fight you… WE would fight you

maybe then he can get up here and do a poem about how everyone’s out to get you

And then you’ll see what it liked to be battered, or how the “why” doesn’t matter

So don’t think about how you’ll apologize, think about compromise, or getting wise

Before you start a war you can’t win- Violence has always been the answer to nothing

Because courage beats cowardice and love beats hate

Until he beats you and we make him pay for that mistake

And maybe, if enough of us are talking, his hands will stay quiet

Perhaps we should try it

Raising awareness is only the beginning because too many losers are winning… and getting away with it.

So I promise to you that if you are willing to stand up, I will too

He might be bigger, but we’re stronger and we can decide not to take this any longer

Domestic violence is enabled by silence, so don’t be silent

Let’s scream to every corner of this earth that we’re gonna fight it! 

But our kind of fighting, is about all of us united…  

And Mr. abuser, I don’t think you’re gonna like it