There is a picture that was taken on Nanny’s porch,
That brings tears to my eyes to view.
I never imagined it would be my last time there,
With my children dressed in red, white and blue.

We were taking a trip to my aunt’s that night,
To enjoy a weekend of family, food, and fun.
The children anxious to light up the sky,
Ready for the sun’s shift to be done.

The children swam and the adults danced
As the music played that night.
Until it was time for the fireworks display
And we stood in awe of the colorful sight.

Those two nights were wonderful,
Shared with our family and friends.
But Sunday eventually had to come,
And our little adventure had to end.

With my son safe in his car seat,
I called to my daughters, “It’s time to go.”
To my surprise, they ran and hid,
Screaming, “No, Mommy, no!”

Then words came from their lips
That a mother prays she’ll never hear.
“I don’t want to go back to Daddy,”
They shouted at me in fear.

In an effort to remain calm,
And pretend like many times before,
I told them Daddy missed us
And tried to usher them to the door.

My daughters clung to mother’s legs,
And their tears continued to fall.
That was all it took for me to break,
Finally, deciding to tell it all.

I spoke of the many times he yelled,
How he spanked the kids without cause,
How he pushed my newborn and I down the stairs,
And punched holes in our doors and walls.
I told them how I couldn’t leave the house,
Unless he would give me the okay.
How he would clock me till my return
Each time I went away.

With my shame spoken, my eyes looked up,
To find everyone already knew.
I found support was always there,
Waiting for me to make a move.

They had seen the bruises I tried to hide,
They had heard the children talk before.
How Daddy yelled at Mommy
And would knock her to the floor.

That day in July was just what I needed,
To show me what damage had been done.
This wasn’t just dangerous for me
But for my daughters and my son.

So, I finally took that leap of faith,
And left my husband of seven years,
To trade a life of abuse,
For one of happiness, not tears.

It was the hardest thing I’ve had to do,
But I knew my kids deserved more.
And, looking back, our lives began
That July day I walked out the door.