Tallest Poppy

                  i

Bride happy and willing

Groom (fingers crossed)

Do you solemnly swear

To love and honour

I do, I do (fingers crossed)

To support each other

I do, I do (fingers crossed)

So long as you both shall live

I do, I do (so long as she obeys only me)

And for the first while happiness

With a wee bit of dig

Minor insults followed

By insincere but sincerely received promises

And half truths

Conqueror exercising domain

Over this woman

She once so strong, so able, so capable

Where did it all go so very wrong

And why

She knows what is happening

Knows what has happened

Yet stuck in this trance

This commitment of force

She soldiers on

Till it breaks

Her dignity permanently bruised

She leaves

His abuse and derision grows stronger

She cannot be whole without him he states

She will be a failure she is told

The names she is called

The lies to diminish her

His abuse complete and continued

His failure the undoing

She breaks broken to be free

                  ii

The flowers are raised to be uniform

In colour, stature, and height

Their beauty goes on and on

Yet here and there a defect shows

Single poppies rise above all others

How dare they break rank

How dare they show their beauty

Who do they think they are

The grower will cut these to size

All those he cannot mold compliant to his norm

They are not worthy of his care

So they must be banished through control

These flowers that are the most beautiful

These flowers that are first to receive

The cool spring breezes

The gentle rains

The warm sun

And the first caress of the bees

Long live the bravest, the ones who break free

Long live this most beautiful creation

Long live the tallest poppy

Long live the beauty that is you dear woman…