This is the third part in my series, published in Inhale the Night and Sleeping with Earth. The upcoming part will be in an eBook released by Darcia Helle this spring.

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~

Journey

~

Leanne heard them lecture

her on what it meant to be a

strong woman. But she felt

strong handcuffed to the bed….

~

Waiting for jail,

or more interrogations…

~

she saw flashes

of the Firebird she crashed

into the lake

~

because he said he loved it

more than her.

~

Now, it seemed so

juvenile…

~

he was never worth

a moment (or fake

orgasm)

~

she pleased herself

before the lights came on

and it was almost enough

to forget –

her child.

~

he could go to hell for

all she cared

but Journey was

a loss

clawing at her throat

each morning-

~

if Gene had never

drank that night,

or she confronted him…

~

a bottle would not be

smashed against her head and

Journey would be

in Kindergarten

~

it wasn’t her fault.

they all told her he was trash.

and she had left him

years too late.

~

now, he came to see her

with his lawyer

and she agreed to

let him have the ring –

a parting gift

~

laced with every poison

she could find.

~

Ben Ditmars © 2019