Hidden Scars

The bruises have faded from view 

The lacerations have healed 

The scars are nearly invisible 

Outwardly, everything seems normal 

The physical evidence is gone 

The broken furniture has been replaced 

The bloodied clothes have been cleaned 

The flowers of apology have wilted 

To the unpracticed eye all seems well 

To those unwilling to believe 

The relationship still seems whole 

The cause for alarm is abated 

As normal as everything appears 

Nothing could be further from the truth 

The underlying fear lives and grows 

The broken trust is far from repaired 

And then, there are the scars 

Invisible, but nonetheless real 

Scars, barely covering 

The breaks in my soul 

The slaps 

The kicks

The punches 

Oh, and the words 

Always, the words 

The damage is not irreparable 

Healing is not impossible 

Except for the words 

Always tearing at the wounds 

Words 

Hateful words

Hurtful words 

Always the precursor 

Words

Always digging 

Always pushing down 

Always reliving 

Twenty years since my escape 

I remember the hits, the slaps, the punches 

But, even more, I remember the words 

My hidden scars 

These deeper hidden scars 

Will never fully heal

From time to time

They crack open 

“A smell, a word, a phrase 

An innocent gesture 

Will open them and they still bleed”

Thus begins the process again 

Hidden Scars 

© Ron Simpson Jr. 

© Tammy Simpson

April 6, 2022