This article is a continuation of a discussion of why women stay in abusive relationships and some of the specific obstacles they face when leaving. It is part two of three in my series of articles on this topic.

Domestic violence is one of the most serious crimes facing families today, yet remains one of the least reported. This series of poems was inspired by the brave and vastly talented saddlerider1, who sometimes hides his grace behind the mantle of a simple Prairie farm boy.

In the fall of 1992, I was getting ready to move to France and my teacher and his wife invited me over for dinner to say good bye. When I went to their house, I started helping his wife in the kitchen as my teacher was picking an LP to play. There I saw Jennifer (I will call her Jenifer here) had some bruises on her chest and arms. Without even thinking anything bad, I asked her what had happened.