Put on a happy face
Don’t let him
See you cry
Apply your makeup
Button nose
And plump lips
Cover the marks
He left on your skin
Go downstairs
Prepare the dinner table
Don’t flinch away
When he grabs your wrists
Stay calm
Don’t react
To the spit
On your face
Stand up taller
Brace yourself
Prepare for impact
Don’t yell out
You don’t want
The neighbors to hear
Accept the apology
When it comes at night
Play pretend
To save yourself
Say you fell
When people begin
To question the bruises
Tell them that
They’ll be gone
In a few days
Don’t breathe a word
To a single soul
Walk through the door
To screams and shoves
Don’t hit back
Stand your ground
Pick yourself up
Go to the bathroom
Run the water
Put on a happy face
Don’t let him
See you cry.