Art and Poetry reflects Life

I have to thank Rosalia for inviting me to her reception for her art on display at the Pride Center. Loss, Sex and Life is appropriately titled as she touches on HIV and domestic violence. The latter struck a cord with me as she explained to me how her co-worker was murdered by an ex-boyfriend. I was appalled but reminded of the time that I visited Skagway and saw the monument to Molly; which jogged me back to my co-worker informing me that her former co-worker, who lived down the street from me, was recently murdered by her husband. I had passed a house down the street from me with that yellow police tape.
I wrote a couple poems that day.

Therefore in commemorating Domestic Violence Awareness Month, here is one of those poems:

Not now, Not then

 Some women can't escape

Not now, not then

Domestic bliss turns into dispute

And poor Natalia is dead.

Some women can't escape

Not now, not then

Her heart was won by the wrong suitor

Who pursued Mollie until he shot her dead.

So happy to be married to the man of her dreams

But short lived was the domestic bliss

When he took to the bottle and became Mr Hyde,

Mollie escaped from Alaska to Seattle to hide.

One day I passed and saw the police tape

Then the news told me Natalia, who lived down my street, is dead.

Different in looks, different states

But both Mollie and Natalia are dead

From the ones who should cherish them most.

So many lives shortened, especially wives!

Copyrighted by Suzzette Dawes 

picture taken by Suzzette Dawes of Monument in Skagway, Alaska in 2013.