ANOTHER WOMAN

Today another woman died
and not on a foreign field
and not with a rifle strapped to her back,
and not with a large defense of tanks
rumbling and rolling behind her.
She died without CNN covering her war.
She died without talk of intelligent bombs
and strategic targets
The target was simply her face,
her back......her.

The target was her precious flesh
that was once composed like music
A life like yours or mine
that had stumbled up
from a beginning
and had learned to walk
and had learned to read.
and had learned to sing.

Another woman died today.
not far from where you live;
Just there, next door where the tall light
falls across the pavement.

Just there, a few steps away
where you’ve often heard shouting,
Another woman died today.

She was the same girl
her mother used to kiss;
the same child you dreamed
beside in school.
The same baby her parents
walked in the night with
and listened and listened and listened
For her cries even while they slept.

And someone has confused his rage
with this woman’s only life.

(c)-Carol Geneya Kaplan

Domestic violence should not happen to anybody. Ever. Period. Domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Partners may be married or not married; heterosexual, gay, or lesbian; living together, separated or dating. Examples of abuse include:

* name-calling or put downs
* keeping a partner from contacting their family or friends
* withholding money
* stopping a partner from getting or keeping a job
* actual or threatened physical harm
* sexual assault
* stalking
* intimidation

Violence can be criminal and includes physical assault (hitting, pushing, shoving, etc.), sexual abuse (unwanted or forced sexual activity), and stalking. Although emotional, psychological and financial abuse are not criminal behaviors, they are forms of abuse and can lead to criminal violence. If you are being abused and need help,
remember You are not alone,
It is not your fault,
Help is available.

If you are in danger,
please use a safer computer,
or call 911, your local hotline,
or the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at
1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224 Please visit: http://www.domesticviolence.org for more info and help.






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