Not All Men

Not all men are like that

But her boyfriend was, keeping her locked inside, away from the ones who could have saved her

Not all men are like that, they protest

But the man who manipulated her into a complicit, submissive shadow was

Not all men are like that, the chant continues

It beats like she imagines her heart did when he was enraged and it was all she could do to pray that he was the same man everyone else saw, and that she would see daylight again

Not all men are like that, they plead to ears that have heard it all before

But the the boyfriend who left scars who can’t be seen was

"NOT ALL MEN ARE LIKE THAT" it’s a scream, a desperate attempt to show girls that they aren’t monsters, they aren’t him

But the boyfriend who “just held on too tight” was

"That’s not us!" They yell, stepping forward with hands outstretched

The girl steps back.

And they realize, it may not be them.

But they have the potential.

"Not all men, but him" she says, leaving a bible behind.

Inside is a picture with the words “Kay and Pastor John, First Anniversary”