My heart dreads him beside
the sound of his voice-
The way he belittles me-
as I have no choice.
Tuning him out as he speaks
cry quietly when I sleep-
Surrendered to this image
of who he wants me to be.
The decades lost and wasted
a prisoner to his heart-
The realization of my life
how I want to break a part.
The successes I've accomplished
shadowed by his ways-
A puppet directed by his strings-
living a lie every day.
Detached from my own self
masked behind me-
This life has never been mine-
never who I wanted to be.