I got flowers
Bumped into a beautiful poem today. I love reading poems. I like the message that the poems try to send. I enjoy reading them and appreciating the beauty and power of words. Here’s the poem written by Paulette Kelly. The words used are simple yet powerful.
I got flowers today.
It wasn’t my birthday
or any special day.
We had our first argument last night,
and he said a lot of cruel things
that really hurt me.
I know he is sorry
and didn’t mean the things he said
because he sent me flowers today.
I got flowers today.
It wasn’t our anniversary
or any other special day.
Last night, he threw me into a wall
and started to choke me.
It seemed like a nightmare.
I couldn’t believe it was real.
I know he must be sorry
because he sent me flowers today.
I got flowers today,
and it wasn’t Mother’s Day
or any other special day.
Last night, he beat me up again.
If I leave him, what will I do?
How will I take care of my kids?
What about money?
I’m afraid of him and scared to leave.
But I know he must be sorry
because he sent me flowers today.
I got flowers today.
Today was a very special day.
It was the day of my funeral.
Last night, he finally killed me.
If only I had gathered enough courage
and strength to leave him,
I would not have gotten flowers today.
To me, the poem is critising the woman for forgiving the man over and over again. lying to herself that her husband realised his mistakes, simply because of the compensatory actions the man did AFTER the violence. This is happening in many countries where divorcing is seen as a taboo. And when children are born, things get more complicated. Let’s be understanding and open-minded.
