One more month closer to spring, and it’s the shortest one of the year! 😎
To celebrate, I’m sharing a poem from a few years ago, together with a couple of suitable tunes.
TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS
A Poem in Envelope Quattrain style
Content Warning: VIOLENCE
Audio Version:
Twenty-eight days…
Fight or flight?
Dark or light?
Eyes ablaze!
Twenty-eight days…
She had no clue
The day she’d rue
Her wanton ways!
Twenty-eight days…
It started well
Now it’s hell!
And she obeys…
Twenty-eight days…
He roped her in
With charming grin
And flowing praise
Twenty-eight days…
His manner changed
Became deranged!
Overt displays!
Twenty-eight days…
No way out!
Strong self-doubt
Thoughts in haze…
Twenty-eight days…
Time to act!
Resolve intact
No delays!
Twenty-eight days…
The time is nigh!
Live or die!
It’s not a phase…
Twenty-eight days…
She made a plan
To kill the man
Her fear allays…
Twenty-eight days…
She lay in wait
He came home late
Steady gaze!
Twenty-eight days…
She raised the knife
To end his life!
Could only graze…
Twenty-eight days…
It came to this
How could she miss?
And now she pays!
Twenty-eight days…
He grabbed the hilt
Devoid of guilt
But oh, so crazed!
Twenty-eight days
From start to end
One can’t contend
When all decays…
Twenty-eight days
From start to end
Twenty-eight days!
© Debbie. D & The Doglady’s Den 2019-2025
Images courtesy of: Flickr / Pexels / Pixabay / Pixnio / PxHere
International Domestic Violence Resource Guide ►
Originally published Feb. 18, 2019
for the #WEPFF writing challenge:
Musical Muse
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
38 thoughts on “A LOT CAN HAPPEN IN TWENTY-EIGHT DAYS! 😲 #Poetry ✍️#4M 🎶”
A stark reminder of domestic abuse and controlling behaviour, and how it can drive people to act out of despair.
Best wishes, Pete.
Yes, it’s a serious problem worldwide. I wrote this for a contest and wanted to make an impact. Thanks for coming by, Pete!
Powerful and poignant Deb. I have a few of my own horror stories. I also have much written about that I’ve never published. Why? Because I’m still afraid to be found. x
Thanks Deb, but I’m sorry you have experienced abuse yourself. 😔 At least you got away, unlike some. ((HUGS))
Thanks Deb. it’s a douzy! I started to write a book called, Red Flags long ago, but because I was also stalked for years even after I met my husband, I’m afraid to publish anything in case he’s lurking. Yes, I was very lucky to get away, but I was trapped for a long time until I did. And then I met my prince. <3
I remember this poem. It’s so chilling! Unfortunately, abuse is a nightmare for some. My heart breaks for these victims. Good job penning words that are felt so strongly by the reader!
Thank you, Cathy. 🙂 I wrote this for a contest and wanted to make an impact. I keep hearing that domestic abuse statistics have increased since the Pandemic. They were bad enough before, and I hope there is more help for the victims than there used to be.
Wow! That is a powerful poem, Debbie! You depict the situation really well. 🌺🩷
Thanks, Kymber! 🙂 My imagination goes to the dark side, occasionally.
Mine, too. LOL 😀
There is so much darkness in the world right now – your poem made me shudder. I’m familiar with Tenderness – my husband had that album and played it a lot. I wasn’t familiar with the Marianne Faithfull song. The harshness of her life helped shape her voice and I liked that song. Alana ramblinwitham
I wrote this for a contest and wanted to make it as gripping as possible. The world is getting more and more dark, unfortunately. You’re one of the few I know who are familiar with Steppenwolf’s catalogue, Alana. Your husband has good taste! 🙂 As do you, going by your blog posts. Excellent description of Marianne’s voice, which I love! It’s sad she had such a rough life.
Very intriguing and scary at the same time. You did a good job Debbie. I have known violence ugly as this … I had a stalker once and had to get a PPO for him. His wife was a good friend of mine and she hated me afterward calling me a liar. He later committed murder suicide – killing her by putting a pillow over a head and shooting her in the head, then calling the police to say he was leaving the front door open so they could get their bodies and to find a home for their cat, then he shot himself in the head while on the phone. I was numb to find this out from a fellow bus rider … I knew them from the bus. This happened 19 years ago this week (February 8th). One day I will write about it – perhaps on the 20th anniversary. It’s an ugly story both before and the aftermath.
Thanks, Linda. 🙂 This was fiction, but you have a devastating true story to tell. What an awful experience that must have been! 😲 It would certainly make a gripping narrative.
Yes, it did seem lifelike though, especially with your reading of it. The stalker was an awful experience Debbie. I heard about the murder-suicide on the radio news that morning, but the reporter did not give their names. A bus friend told me she saw it on the TV news the next night and asked me if I remembered them? When I got the PPO, he was not allowed to take the same bus as me, so he/she switched to another route. I saw her sometimes downtown if I was running errands on my lunch hour and she purposely turned her head the other way. He was served at work – he worked in the accounting department of a court reporting firm downtown. He was studying to be a court reporter. She was a legal secretary. I knew them both for many years, him since I took the bus to school at Wayne State, so that was 1976-1978. I always thought if there was a 5K for domestic violence I would sign up and then tell my story. But I could do it on the 20th anniversary … today is the 19th anniversary. The newspaper article said they stopped working downtown, were waiting tables or other jobs.
Oh also, his father buried him, but would not bury her (yes, she was his wife). So they were going to put her in a pauper’s grave. Her former coworkers pitched in and got her a dignified burial.
He was sending letters and postcards to work where everyone could see what he wrote … declaring his love for me and wanted to run away together and leave Carrie behind. This was at the Firm, before my boss/I left and went on our own and we had had an incident where secretary left her abusive boyfriend and he came up the elevator, holding a big knife under his coat and walked into the lobby of the law firm demanding to see her. So in lieu of that, the managing partner suggested I get a PPO in place before the guy did something equally stupid.
As a woman I find this very powerful and frightening too. Well done.
Have a fabulous day and rest of the week, Debbie. Big hug. ♥
Thank you, Sandee! Mission accomplished then. 🙂 I wrote this for a contest and wanted it to stand out. 💥
Hi Debbie – yes very powerful … and frightening … cheers Hilary
Thank you, Hilary. 🙂 That’s what I was going for. Too bad the WEPFF Writing Challenge is no longer a regular event. You had some memorable entries! 👌
That was a dark and deep poem. Almost like a movie😸 Great songs also. What a great song of Marianne Faithful, what a beautiful voice she had. Double Pawkisses for a Happy Week ahead, and thanks for stopping by our bloggie, Debbie🐾😽💞
Thank you so much! 🙂 I appreciate the return visit and hope you are all having a nice weekend. 🐈⬛🐈⬛
Wow! That’s powerful, Debbie.
Love,
Janie
Thank you, Janie! 🙂 My imagination runs to the dark side, sometimes.
Wow!! This is so so scary, but so impactful, Debbie! My heart was racing the entire time as I read it 🙏 fantastic writing and something that absolutely needs more attention
Thank you so much, Laura! 🌹 My imagination runs to the dark side, sometimes, but yes, this is a very real problem in our society. Thanks for your comment. 🙂 Hope you’re having a good weekend.
Scary but a poignant and brilliant poem. Domestic abuse is so horrible.
Thank you, Thomas. 🙂 My imagination runs to the dark side, sometimes. Domestic abuse is a terrible problem and seems to be getting worse!
In this instance a knife was the wrong weapon!!!! LOL, needed a 44. 🙂
Love the poetry!!!!!
Hi Debbie – very clever and ‘a delight’ to read … just sad too … well done – Hilary
We do live in violent world, although it was much violent let say 100 years ago.
Coffee is on and stay safe
There’s a thin line between love and hate. A very thin line and in this instant it was Twenty-eight days. Very well done.
Have a fabulous day and week, Debbie. ♥
great poem! have a wonderful day
The dark side of life, Debbie! It’s an unfortunate situation for those who can’t get out of a bad relationship, especially an abusive one. Well-written expressions of emotional sadness.
Definitely dark, especially for those who can’t escape. Thanks for checking out the poem, Eugenia. I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
Debbie,
She should’ve followed through when she had the chance. It’s hard to understand how anyone can stay in an abusive relationship. How sad! Great job on the poem!
Hi Cathy, yes, she certainly messed that up. Sadly, for some, leaving is easier said than done. Thankfully, there are good resources available to help victims of abuse. Thanks for checking out the poem! 🙂
Ouch! That was dark…
Yes, that was the idea. 🙂 Thanks for reading my poem.