I Know a Brave Woman

I know a woman who lived down the street.

She had cuts and bruises whenever we’d meet.

I wanted to say something, but it was never quite right.

She assured me it was normal, the way they would fight.

I insisted it wasn’t. You must leave, I did implore.

Yet he continued to beat her and call her a whore.

Then one day her and the kids never arrived at the park

because she packed them up and left in the dark.

I never did know where she went to,

but I’m proud to know a Brave Woman. Are you?

by Darcy Zalewski

It’s been a long time since I’ve written any poetry and I debated sharing this. I don’t want the rhyming scheme taking away from the importance of its message, but it just wouldn’t write itself any other way. Domestic violence is a real problem that too many people are afraid to speak out about. People from the outside look in and often look down on a woman for not getting out. And even if she does, they only see her as a victim. Unfortunately, many women who have survived domestic violence continue to view themselves as victims too, which can make it hard for them to shake their fears and live their lives. So even if they are “free” they aren’t really.. their abusers still hold the power.

When I was a case manager I worked with a lot of women struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. It was saddening and maddening how many of them had been traumatized by others. They turned to drugs and alcohol to help them  mask the pain.. to cope… they didn’t know how to be brave yet.

What Is Brave Woman?

Brave Woman is a grassroots movement to shift personal and public perception of women facing domestic violence situations from a victim mentality to one of courage and strength. The ultimate goal is action to create a world community that

• Supports difficult decisions involved in creating a new life of safety, healing and independence.
• Is aware of the presence of domestic violence and its impact on families.

OUR SHARED VISION is that every woman and child will have the supportive resources they need to live without fear in their homes and see themselves as courageous victors, finally free from family violence.

— from BraveWoman.org

I’ve met a lot of Brave Women, some just hadn’t realized they were yet. With resources and support, such as at BraveWoman.org, more woman can be Brave. Take the pledge today – I did. I want to be Brave and help other be Brave too.

Find out more at BraveWoman.org, Brave Woman on Facebook, and on Twitter @Brave_Woman. You can also find others by searching for #BraveWoman on Twitter. Join the Twitter party on December 19th at 1:00-2:00 PM EST.

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Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. Regardless, I believe this is a worthy cause and want to share this with you. #CBias

Darcy Zalewski

Darcy is the founder of “Life With Darcy and Brian,” where she combines her love for education, board games, and crafting to create engaging learning experiences for kids. Her creative projects and writing have been featured in outlets like The Toy Insider, CafeMom, Mom.com, Parents.com, Country Living, and The Pioneer Woman.