the proNouns of Abuse

"Our “River of Cruelty” model of batterers’ intervention is an approach that incorporates trauma-informed care into the standard cognitive-behavioral approach. One of the primary efforts of this approach is to engage with participants in an emotional space. This affective component works in depth with the fear, grief, anger, and sadness that men bring into the program."-http://www.familypeaceinitiative.com/about/river-of-cruelty

i Drown

in YOur "River of Cruelty"

i Placed my Faith in you to see beyond the tropes of trauma into the reality of my experiences and the affect that they have on the Spirit of the abused.

and then i Find

even in the scripted presentation of your mission

you presume my abuser a victim

i Have endured

courtroom minimization of my abuse

threats from lawyers that i Would be put on the stand and told to "man up"

parents unwilling to acknowledge my abuse

support groups that won't allow me to join because i Have a penis

and now, after standing alone, fighting for safe futures for my daughter, i Find that the organization that was meant to provide my abuser with the treatment she needs to prevent the cycle of abuse from continuing in my daughter's life, deems women to only be able to fill the role of victim.