Attack And Receive

His barrage of words strikes like a snake
as she turns her soft ear towards his
list of petty charges, tasks undone,
nods as if giving his complaints weight,
her possessions grasped in an everyday mugging,
she gifts him more.

He invades her space, steps on her toes
she can't match his dance, shrinks at each touch,
his onslaughts are unprovoked but
she has forgotten how to take offence
or shelter from what is now a blitz
her soul shrapnelled before the killer blow.

Little mother, dear sister, beloved daughter,
the kindest of friends, broken, possessed,
he’s made this martyr, this furtive shadow,
a scurrowing thing - his perfect wife.