Sleeping more peaceful than I’ve ever seen,
A beautiful smile on her face,
The torment and troubles that woman went through,
Are gone without leaving a trace,

Such contrast from yesterdays tantrums and tears,
And threats of what she’s going to do,
Sleeping more peaceful than I’ve ever seen,
After all of the things she’s been through,

Gone are the nightmares that invaded her sleep,
And stabbed at her heart like a knife,
Gone is the terror of sexual abuse,
She suffered all her married life,

The fear turned to hatred as she turned to drink,
It’s all she had to blot out the pain,
They locked him in prison for nearly six years,
Then she heard he was back out again,

And he wasn’t the type to forgive and forget,
No he’d make her suffer alright,
Ten years of marriage had taught her the truth,
Of his viscousness night after night,

A court order against him would be of no use,
She’d tried that before in the past,
And he stayed away for a couple of days,
But the peace she enjoyed didn’t last,

He broke into her hostel, had his evil way,
With her throat at the point of a knife,
Told her to do everything she was told,
And he might, only might spare her life,

Oh she had him arrested, and they put him away,
And at first it was such a relief,
But he phoned her from prison to say what he’d do,
To her as soon as he was released,

She said that the phone call was the worst thing of all,
Because she knew then she’d never be safe,
She hated to be in the house on her own,
Every shadow there was held his face,

Every squeek of the floorboards, every creek of the stairs,
Sent her running for somewhere to hide,
Telling her children that all would be well,
While gradually dieing inside,

With her drinking increasing, the kids were put into care,
But that was another mistake,
For that drove her further back into dispair,
It was more than she was willing to take,

They visited often, but each time she was worse,
It took more whiskey to blot out the pain,
Screaming and crying, and threatening death,
If ever he came here again,

I went to see her, when I heard the news,
That father was going to be free,
I knocked and I waited outside mothers door,
But mother would not answer me,

I found her still sleeping so peaceful and quiet,
Sleeping the sleep of a child,
Sleeping more peaceful than I’d ever seen,
On her lips the most beautiful smile,

It was like she was having the most wonderful dream,
And at first I did not understand,
Untill I saw the half empty bottle of scotch,
And the bottle of pills in her hand,

In the end it was easy, she’d found her escape,
And I lay by her side for a while,
Cuddling mother while she was asleep,
The way that I did as child,

By S.E.Ralph..

15-3-2002